Program Description
Event Details
Meet Author Carlyn Montes De Oca
In Conversation with Emmy Award-Winning Anchor Woman Karen Foss
Junkyard Girl: A Memoir of Ancestry, Family Secrets, and Second Chances
Carlyn Montes De Oca grew up surrounded by secrets. She never knew her dad was a Marine during World War II or that her grandmother hired kidnappers to bring her mother back home after her parents eloped. Her parents took an even bigger secret to their graves... Carlyn's identity.
In 2019, at age 57, a consumer DNA test taken for fun revealed that Carlyn's mom and dad, immigrants from Mexico, were not her biological parents. In that instant, Carlyn felt her world shatter. This revelation fueled a year long journey to find the answers to "Who the hell am I and where do I belong?"
Junkyard Girl explores the powerful impact of long-held secrets and the complex relationships between immigrant mothers and their native-born daughters. This is a coming-of-age story later in life; a tale about loss and discovery, betrayal and forgiveness, and the true meaning of an American family.
Carlyn Montes De Oca is a multi-award winning author of Dog as My Doctor, Cat as My Nurse and Paws for the Good Stuff. She is an international speaker, animal-human health expert, and passionate animal advocate. Learn more about author Carlyn Montes De Oca at her website https://animalhumanhealth.com/about/
Karen Foss is a six-time Emmy award-winning television News Anchor. She retired in 2006 from KSDK, the NBC affiliate in Saint Louis after 27 years as primary anchor. Karen’s professional awards include membership in the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle. She was also named Media Person of the Year by the Saint Louis Press club and she has been named to the Missouri Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Karen has also won several regional Emmys and the NAACP Roy Wilkins Award, the first to a television journalist. In retirement, Karen lives with her husband, Larry Ross, in Santa Fe NM, where she pursues writing and painting.
