I was born and grew up in Mexico City but spent my summers in Chihuahua (northern Mexico) alongside my grandmother. It was my Abuelita who instilled in me a deep love for arid lands, storytelling, and science. Both loves followed me to college, where I became an oceanographer. After graduation, I first worked in Baja California, later moving to the coast of Oaxaca. The people I met and the places I discovered in those two magical regions of Mexico inspired many a short story and still populate the books I write today. Later on, I attended graduate school in Los Angeles, California. Soon after, while searching for clues to reconstruct the history of the oceans, I became a modern nomad. As a researcher, I moved around, living in the US, France, Denmark, and Belgium. Yet, my love for writing never dwindled and, by weaving memories and fantasy, I recreate reality in stories for children, eager to show them a side of my native country that rarely makes it into the news. At present, I live in a small town south of Brussels, sharing my days with my lovely husband and our two hyperactive dogs.

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Books by Francisca Staines