Milton author shares her immigrant story in children’s book

Amalia Maria Garcia Kastberg, a new Milton resident, is also the author of a children’s book.

“The Story of Amalia” is a journey through the life and challenges of a young immigrant girl navigating a bilingual and bicultural upbringing in the United States of America.

Garcia Kastberg hopes her story will make an emotional connection with other immigrant children living in the United States.

Named after her mother, Amalia was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1966. Her Spanish parents immigrated to the United States when she was about 6 months old. She learned how to speak English by watching television, listening to the radio, looking at magazines and hearing other children speak on the playground. From a very early age, she was fascinated with the power of communications and the media to help inform, educate and influence.

With over 30 years of experience in the marketing communications profession, Garcia Kastberg had set a personal goal years ago to write a children’s book about growing up as an immigrant child in the United States. She accomplished this goal in 2020 while living in Baltimore. During the pandemic, she and her husband decided to move to Delaware and finally found a new home in Milton this past August. They both fell in love with Milton’s charm, sense of community and friendly people, and brought her mother to Delaware to care for her. They plan to spend time in Delaware and in Spain.

Since the book’s release, Garcia Kastberg has made donations to children’s charities with some of the sales proceeds. She also plans to make a donation to Delaware Hospice in Sussex County in honor of her mother, who passed away in June after being lovingly cared for by Delaware Hospice program staff.

For more information, go to thestoryofamalia.com.