Paula Mendoza is a celebrated activist, artist, and author dedicated to advocating for immigrant rights and social justice. Abby Sher is an award-winning author known for her humorous and heartfelt works, including her YA novel Miss You Love You Hate You Bye (2022) and memoir, Amen, Amen, Amen (2009). Together, Mendoza and Sher co-authored the politically poignant, gripping YA dystopian novels Sanctuary (2020) and its recently released companion, Solis (2024).
In Sanctuary, readers meet Latina teen Valentina “Vali” González Ramirez, who lives in Vermont during a time when the president builds the Great American Wall, mandates ID chipping, and intensifies brutal deportation raids. After her father is deported to Colombia and murdered, Vali, her mother, and her younger brother embark on a harrowing journey to the sanctuary state of California in search of safety and freedom. Solis continues the story, immersing readers once more in this dystopian world where the New American Republic targets undocumented immigrants. The narrative follows Liliana, Vali, and two other women imprisoned in a labor camp: Jess, a former Deportation Force recruit now punished for her defiance, and Rania, a queer Lebanese woman ensnared by the president’s Muslim ban. (See Latinx Pop Magazine writer Paloma Aguirre's review of Solis here.)
Paula and Abby’s unique blend of activism and storytelling brings Latinx speculative fiction to life, creating worlds that shed light on contemporary struggles while celebrating the strength of community and the transformative power of love. I had the privilege of speaking with Paula and Abby about their collaborative writing process, their shared vision for amplifying marginalized voices, and the profound impact of telling Latinx stories through speculative fiction.
Frederick Luis Aldama: You're both constantly creating and transforming. Is there anything new you'd like to share since our 2020 interview about Sanctuary?
Paola Mendoza: I’m incredibly grateful we survived the pandemic, of course. Over the past few years, I’ve been deeply involved in organizing, particularly in the trans and abortion spaces. I helped organize a trans prom last year and participated in various abortion marches and creative actions. Beyond that, I’ve been diligently working with Abby on Solis.
Abby Sher: Surviving the pandemic has been central, alongside writing and mothering.
FLA: Solis connects to Sanctuary. How would you describe their relationship?
PM: While Solis is officially a companion novel to Sanctuary and if read together they create a more holistic experience, we wrote Solis to be able to stand alone that delves deeply into the power and necessity of love. This is why love is central to the narratives of all four main characters—Rania, Liliana, Vali, and Jess. There’s the love between a mother and daughter, the love between two queer young women, and Jess’s journey to self-love and how that reflects in her relationships and reckoning with past mistakes.
AS: Sanctuary is about escaping a horrific regime, while Solis focuses on fighting back to build a better world. It examines what life looks like in the immediate aftermath of revolution.
FLA: Sanctuary is set in 2032 and Solis in 2033—a near future, but still speculative. How does the genre allow you to explore themes that present-day fiction might not?
PM: Setting Sanctuary and Solis slightly into the future was intentional and tactical. We wanted readers to feel the urgency of their decisions today and how those choices shape society in the near future. It’s not so far ahead that change feels unattainable—it’s just within reach. If we protect the vulnerable and marginalized now, and vote for leaders who safeguard freedoms, our future doesn’t have to mirror the one in Sanctuary and Solis.
AS: Speculating about a near future was exciting—it’s close enough to feel probable and possible. This proximity encourages readers to see themselves as agents of change.
FLA: The near-future setting opens up possibilities for hope and a progressive reboot—something that present-day narratives often don’t.
PM: Exactly. The proximate future offers hope amidst the darkness we’re currently facing. It reminds us that we can move toward a better, stronger, and more equitable world. As organizer Mary McCabe says, “Hope is a discipline.” It’s an act of resistance to hold onto hope, and that hope fuels action. As an organizer and artist, I remain optimistic, creating worlds that inspire hope and purpose.
AS: We almost titled the novel Seeds to capture the idea that each of us has the power to plant the seeds for a better future. That idea is central to Solis.
FLA: The character Liliana is deeply religious. How would you distinguish between faith and hope?
PM: Liliana’s journey explores faith in both a literal and figurative sense. She grapples with her faith while enduring the horrors of a labor camp, which we researched extensively through first-person accounts of genocide. Through her, we examine resilience and the power of humanity to retain its core values even in the face of atrocity. Faith and hope, for me, are intertwined. You don’t need to be religious to have faith, nor to hold onto hope.
AS: Faith feels more passive—a trust that things will work out. Hope, on the other hand, is active. Our four characters wrestle with varying degrees of faith and hope, and their struggles reflect this dynamic. Jess, for instance, grapples with how much hope to invest in action while questioning the faith she’s been indoctrinated with.
FLA: What was the process like for the two of you collaborating on Solis?
AS: I had difficulty processing some of the darker themes. At times, I needed to step back, as it became overwhelming.
PM: Having worked together before, we already had a strong collaborative rhythm. For Solis, we divided the characters: I wrote two, and Abby wrote the other two. Then we’d exchange drafts, provide notes, rewrite, and refine. This back-and-forth process braided our individual contributions into a seamless narrative.
FLA: Activism plays a key role in Jess’s transformation.
PM: Jess was one of the most challenging characters to write. She lives in moral gray areas—something we wanted to explore deeply. Her decisions as a teenager caused harm, yet those same decisions helped others survive. She embodies the complexities of truth, reconciliation, and accountability. We live in a time where nuance often feels lost, replaced by divisive extremes. Jess challenges readers to consider what happens when people seek redemption. How do we as a society accept them back? What must they do to earn forgiveness?
AS: Writing Jess also meant confronting themes like white saviorism. As a teenager, Jess took on adult responsibilities as part of the deportation force, and those actions carry weight. Her journey is about grappling with the consequences and finding a path forward.
FLA: Rania and Kenna’s love arc is deeply moving. Without giving too much away, what would you say is Kenna’s defining trait?
PM: Kenna’s story is about love, sacrifice, and the risks that come with both. She makes choices against her instincts for the sake of love, which leads to devastating consequences. Her bravery and hope shine through, but her fate is shaped by the cruelty of the world around her.
AS: Kenna chooses love, knowing the risks, and her actions set off a domino effect that drives the story to its conclusion. Her decisions reflect profound courage and a commitment to hope, even in the darkest moments.
FLA: Where are you both finding vitality or lightness with purpose today?
PM: For me, it’s close to home. My son is my joy and my teacher. While the world feels heavy and dark at times, I find hope in the artists creating amidst the chaos.
AS: I find purpose in the moments of connection—whether through art, activism, or simply being present with loved ones. Those connections remind me of our capacity to create and sustain hope.
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