First, The Memories My first (I’ll call it "viable") novel, the one that my agent originally signed me over, was heavily inspired by childhood memories of my family gathered around my grandparents’ Salvadoran food truck on Long Island. The truck and the soccer games, where it served as concession stand, are etched as backdrops to so many throwback moments filled with laughter, hugs, and of course, delicious food (the best—everyone in town acknowledged my grandmother’s pupusas

For years I credited my grandmother for being the rock of our family. She was kind, hardworking, the best cook in town, and a quiet warrior. She still holds all of those titles, long after her passing, but I never gave my grandfather enough credit for the role that he played. My grandfather had some issues and those issues are the main reason behind my being blind to his contribution until recently. When I was a kid he used to frighten me. He seemed seven feet tall back the