Spokane area author Barbara Cagle will be conducting a special Mother's Day event at the north side Hastings Entertainment on Saturday, May 7, and Sunday, May 8.
Cagle will discuss and sign copies of her book "16 x Mom: A Mastery of Motherhood." It tells the story of her 93-year-old mother Jacqueline Rose Olivo and her experiences raising 16 children in San Jose, California.
Cagle is Rose's 13th child.
"I grew up in a family with 10 girls and 6 boys," Cagle said. "I'm her baker's dozen."
Before she wrote the book, Cagle spent many hours interviewing her mother Rose, gathering over 500 family photos, watching old home movies and doing anything else she could to piece together Rose's story.
"I interviewed relatives and everybody I could possibly find about her life," Cagle said. "It was quite an amazing thing to learn more about my mom."
As readers learn more about Cagle's mother, a story unfolds that covers more than 100 years of California history. It begins with Rose's immigrant father Joseph Nunez traveling from his homeland Spain to the historic mining town Campo Seco and marrying Adelaide “Lydia” Madriago.
After Lydia died of tuberculosis at the age of 21, Joseph struggled to provide a home for his three children. Rose was eventually placed in foster care with an old woman called "Ma" who kept her from having a normal family life.
The book follows Rose from her unhappy childhood to her marriage to Nello John Olivo, Sr. in December of 1935 and then describes the challenges of raising their children in a small house with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Along the way, readers get to share many pieces of Rose's wisdom and personal philosophy.
Rose is now 93. Cagle spends as much time as she can with her and talks to her nearly every day.
"At 93, every day is precious... I thank God for her every day," Cagle said.
Copies of "16 x Mom" can be ordered from the author's web site barbaracagle.com, or by contacting her at (509) 233-8051.
Cagle also has a blog featuring her biography, pictures and much more. Check it out at http://blog.barbaracagle.com.
Cagle will be at Hastings from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both days. The bookstore is located across from Shadle Park High School at 1704 West Wellesley. For more information, call (509) 327-6008.
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