What happens when your child asks, “Why doesn’t anyone know we exist?”

In the first episode of Season 2 of The Missing Book Podcast, Luz Maria Mack sits down with her friend, author and entrepreneur Christine Osoria, for a deeply personal conversation about cultural identity, motherhood, representation, and creating the spaces we wish existed.

Christine shares the story behind her children's book, Rosalia the Honduran American, which was inspired by her daughter questioning why people knew about the Dominican Republic but did not know about Honduras. It was a moment that brought Christine back to her own childhood growing up Honduran American in the Bronx and ultimately inspired her to write a story that would help children feel proud of where they come from.

Christine also talks about her journey from self-published author to founder of Lavish Booktique, a pop-up bookstore created to give more visibility to women writers and stories that are too often overlooked.

Luz and Christine get personal about what it means to build something while also being mothers, working full time, raising children, supporting their dreams, and learning that success does not have to happen according to someone else's timeline.

At its heart, this episode is about being proud of who you are, making room for stories that are missing, supporting other women, and permitting yourself to enjoy the journey.

Because our children should never have to wonder whether their culture matters. Sometimes seeing Honduras, hearing Spanish, recognizing a baleada made by Abuelita, or reading about a family that looks like theirs can be the very thing that tells a child: I belong here too.

🎙️ Subscribe to The Missing Book Podcast for conversations with authors, illustrators, educators, poets, and storytellers whose voices deserve to be heard.

About The Missing Book Podcast:

Hosted by Luz Maria Mack, The Missing Book Podcast highlights authors, illustrators, educators, and creatives whose stories deserve to be seen, heard, and celebrated. Each episode explores the inspiration behind the work, the publishing journey, and the impact stories can have on readers, families, and communities.

#TheMissingBookPodcast #Season2 #ChristineOsoria #LuzMariaMack #LavishBooktique #RosaliaTheHonduranAmerican #HonduranAmerican #HonduranStories #LatinoStories #LatinaAuthors #LatinoAuthors #DiverseBooks #RepresentationMatters #CulturalIdentity #ChildrensBooks #WomenWriters #WomenSupportingWomen #IndependentAuthors #SelfPublishedAuthors #BronxWriters #BronxAuthors #OurStoriesMatter #PublishingDiversity #MotherhoodAndCreativity #BooksThatRepresent