A Place Where the Sea Remembers

• Genre: Literary Fiction
• Originally Published: 1993
• Reading Level/Interest: 790L; adult
• Structure/Length: 176 pages
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: This novel follows several characters in the Mexican village of Santiago, weaving together various storylines. At the core of each story is a conflict that reveals different aspects of love, loss, redemption, and cultural identity.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Some scenes of violence, including domestic violence; sexual abuse and rape; discussions of miscarriage; class and racial tensions

Sandra Benitez, Author

• Bio: Born on March 10, 1941, in Washington, DC; a well-known author who writes primarily about the lives and experiences of Latin American women; works often explore themes of family, identity, cultural heritage, and women’s roles within Latin American communities
• Other Works: Bitter Grounds (1997); The Weight of All Things (2000); Bag Lady: A Memoir (2016)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Tradition Versus Modernity
• Life and Death
• Preserving the Memories of Others

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the literary and socioeconomic contexts regarding the use of magical realism by Latin American authors that impact the characterization of Benitez’s story.
• Analyze paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Tradition Versus Modernity, Life and Death, and Preserving the Memories of Others.