Destino (Virginia Salazar Wright).

'Destino' Authors - Virginia Salazar and Abelardo

The first novel of the two, written with fellow author Virginia Salazar, takes inspiration from the lives of two individuals whose separate and contrasting characters are forcibly connected by their sharing a common destiny. One was once a member of the embassy corps in the United States, while the other grew up along rural streets of Italy, dealing with social and economic hardships.

Virginia Salazar is an intelligent and curious woman whose ability to see the bigger picture, connect stories and humanize historical figures is celebrated in the biography of her distant ancestor, General Thomas Wright, an Irish patriot who fought for Latin American independence during the 19th century. Her second novel, "Palmas for my General", is a homage to her family member. This book combines her research powers with her own life experiences to unlock the mystery surrounding Wright, his background and the circumstances that shaped his journey.

Abelardo, who shares his name with one of his ancestors, has spent his career as a diplomat but now decides to venture into fiction writing as his newfound experience has forced him to look at politics through a different lens. Virginia, also somewhat intrigued by his work, helps him write a novel together, following its protagonists as they face obstacles and cross-path each other. The words dance between Abelardo's humorous and irreverent approach, and Virginia's rigorous approach to storytelling as she endeavors to write an accurate portrait of these two intrepid characters.