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Children’s fiction author Cintia Alfonso Fior first realized she wanted to be a writer after working with diverse underserved populations in South America, North America, and Africa. The perception of injustices and the great need to advocate for underserved populations, particularly children, inspired her to write her magical realism novel for young readers, Moraline. The book follows an outcast sixth-grade girl and covers important themes of racial literacy, social justice, and interconnectedness with the earth and the people around us.
Cintia Alfonso Fior is an educator, clinical psychologist, and the founder of Rising Advocates, an advocacy and educational platform dedicated to promoting children’s rights and environmental justice through storytelling and education.
Fior has a MA in Peace and Justice Studies from the Kroc Institute of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego and serves as the current chair of the American Family Therapy Academy’s (AFTA) Family Policy and Human Rights committee.
When she isn’t writing impactful and socially conscious books for middle-grade readers, Fior is a qualitative researcher working in Africa and a Ph.D. candidate. She enjoys being a mother of three, tending to her garden, cooking, and running. Originally from Argentina, she lives in San Diego, California. Moraline is her debut novel.
Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite
Moraline is alone in the forest, grieving after a cruel prank by her classmates when she encounters a scarred, magical man who tells her that the four winds of the universe are out of balance, and she must help to restore them. Although she doubts her ability at first, she discovers that she is being directed by mystical powers as she makes new friends, saves a little fox, makes a foreign student feel more welcome, and assists a friend in dealing with loss. Her positive effect on others is eventually felt not only by her friends but also by a far broader audience, including her hostile peers. Moraline by Cintia Alfonso Fior portrays a delightful little character who learns about caring for people from different backgrounds. She also gains an understanding of environmental preservation as she embarks on one compassionate expedition after another with her friends.
The book will captivate its readers with thrilling adventures and exploits, as well as rich depictions of nature and mystical characters that left me in awe. In addition to beautifully detailed physical attributes, the characters are portrayed as highly engaging and having extensive backstories, to the point that anyone would be interested in speaking with them in person. This compelling book deftly incorporates several life lessons that are best learned at a young age, such as the necessity of trying to comprehend the motivation of bullies rather than just reacting vengefully. The numerous, seamlessly woven themes span a wide range, including activism, racism, animal welfare, child labor, empathy, magic, and more. I hope that all children who can understand the principles in Moraline get to read it since it will help not just their generation but also the future of life on earth. Fantastic job, Cintia Alfonso Fior.
