Although ten years has passed since sculptor and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Robert Sanábria performed research for his memoir Stewing in the Melting Pot: the Memoir of a Real American, what he learned intrigued him and became part of his newly published novel The Last Califόrnio (Paraguas Books, ISBN: 978-0956578655).
“The idea for The Last Califórnio began to emerge when I recalled the research I did for my first book,” said Sanábria. “In it, I wrote about growing up in the orphanage for Latino children located in Sierra Madre. It turns out that Sierra Madre was once part of the Rancho Santa Anita, one of more than 800 such land grants. Before the research, I hadn’t known anything about the ranchos or the rancheros, who called themselves Califórnios. It was an easy step to make my protagonist a descendant of the Californios and bring in the whole matter of the 1846-48 U.S.-Mexico War.”
In The Last Califόrnio, Mexican journalist Gar Montalvo tries to expose a corrupt government minister after he discovers the minister ordered the murders of Gar’s family. Unfortunately, he becomes a target and flees across the Rio Grande and into the United States as an undocumented immigrant. Gar heads to Los Angeles, where he unveils his heritage of land and becomes involved in a high‐stakes game of politics. As Gar seeks to avenge his family’s murders, in love with the beautiful paralegal, Eva Muñoz.
Sanábria, a decorated retired Army lieutenant colonel, is a renowned sculptor living in Northern Virginia. Born in El Paso, Texas, he moved at age four with his mother and three siblings to Southern California. There, he spent the next 10 years growing up in a Methodist Church sponsored orphanage for Latino children.
A professional sculptor, Sanábria has created 25 major commissions for municipal projects, religious institutions, and commercial and private collectors. His artistic works are included in the permanent collections of 12 museums, synagogues, universities, and public spaces. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland.
Sanábria has served as president of the Artist Equity Association in Washington, D.C., and he is a founder and former board officer of Touchstone Gallery, an artist’s cooperative in D.C. He is also a founder and longtime board member of the Loudoun Arts Council. He writes art-related articles, in addition to his books.
Sanábria lives and works near Hamilton, Virginia. Learn more about him and his artistic work on his website: www.sanabriastudios.com. Follow the author on Twitter or Facebook.
