Patchwork Memories: An Interview with Author Monica Rojas

Can objects link is to one another and to our pasts? What sort of objects hold that special power? These are a few of the questions author Monica Rojas explores in her new title, Patchwork Memories. This heartfelt picture book follows a child who is navigating their beloved grandmother’s memory loss. While unpacking Abeula’s belongings, the child finds a patchwork quilt, with each patch revealing a story from Abuela’s past.

Today, Monica Rojas shares with us a little bit more about Patchwork Memories, including the real-life inspiration behind the story as well as what she hopes young readers will take away from her words.

What was your inspiration for the book?

When I was a kid, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her memory loss happened very quickly after her diagnoses and my mother had to make a series of tough choices, ending with my grandma in a nursing home. My grandma lived for nine more years, losing more and more of her memories and abilities as the years wore on. Unlike the abuela in my story, my grandma never had anything that jogged her memories; it was my great aunt, Bertie, whose quilts, recipes, and memorabilia helped our family’s stories survive through the generations. These two women, together, hold the place of grandma in my heart, and they served as the inspiration for this story.

What do you hope readers will get from reading your book?

I hope that families reading my book, whether they have elders with diagnosed memory loss or not, will remember to pass down family stories. Memories get stored in all sorts of places inside and outside of us. Sometimes a quilt can serve as a bridge to other generations, but story sharing can also be intentional. When there are three or four generations at the dinner table we always make sure to share stories from when we were little, and it never ceases to amaze the youngest generation that once these towering adults were small too, that they were nervous, made mistakes, and had victories

Do you also sew?

I love to sew and piece things together from scraps. Most of the blankets in my house tell stories and are made from fabric that used to be something else. The family favorite is the blanket I have pieced together using handknit socks! My mom, or Nana, as she now known in our home, loves to knit socks. When they get worn beyond darning, I cut off the top of the foot and the cuff and add them to the blanket. Because they are handknit, they have double stories, the story of the yarn and the knitting and also the story of the sock and the wearing.

There is so much color in your story, what was it like to see the illustrations?

It has been such a joy to see all the fabrics I imagined come to life through Luisa’s drawings. Every stage of the process, first sketches, followed by color studies, has shined a light on my words in a new delightful way. I especially love how she used the motif of squares to emphasis how abuela’s memories are flowing. Her use of value throughout as a visual representation of emotion also blew me away.

Praise for Patchwork Memories

★ “A beautiful and optimistic book about a changing family and how to appreciate an elder’s stories in different ways. Perfect for any picture book collection . . . “—starred, School Library Journal

“A comforting depiction of an anchoring object and shared family memories.”—Publishers Weekly

“A moving tribute to family bonds that endure, even as memories begin to fade.”—Kirkus Reviews

Connect with the Author

Monica Rojas is a bilingual queer Chilean-American who engages communities through writing and artistic practices involving magical realism, joy, and play. She received a Mirrors and Windows Fellowship through the Loft Literary Center and is a member of SCBWI. Her debut picture book is Nana and Abuela. She has also created many interactive art installations and performances all over Minnesota, including a yearlong residency with Lake Bemidji State Park. She lives with her wife, and two kiddos in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she befriends local librarians, mends clothes, and stoop sits.