📖 'EL CORAZÓN DE MISHA' 🎙️ "UNA HISTORIA DE FICCIÓN QUE NACE DE UNA NOTICIA" #SIEMPRECASARPP

Overview

The video is a discussion/interview about El corazón de Misha (“Misha’s Heart”), presented as a children’s story that grows out of a real news event. Jorge Eslava explains that the book is designed to promote values such as solidarity, empathy, and love for one’s community, while also addressing serious threats affecting the Amazon.

Key points and analysis

Origin: from news to fiction

• Eslava says the story begins with an anecdote from years earlier: someone climbed a tree to prevent it from being cut down.
• He later traveled to Ucayali, where the memory became the seed for the novel.

Amazon-focused concerns

• Eslava wanted to explore the Amazon universe and raise awareness—through fiction—about problems he has witnessed firsthand, including:
  • Indiscriminate logging
  • Illegal mining
  • Animal smuggling/trafficking
• He notes these issues are not commonly discussed in Lima.

Plot and symbolism

• The protagonist is a girl who must defend her community from “intruders” in the forest.
• She remains high up in a massive tree (described as a kind of chihuahuaco) to prevent it from being cut down.
• The tree is supported by:
  • A community of animals
  • Guidance from a grandfather-like figure that represents tradition and communal memory
• The girl-and-animals relationship is described as mythical/mysterious, with humor and wonder woven throughout the narrative.

Indigenous/oral tradition elements (fictionalized)

• Although the story is entirely fictional, Eslava connects it to his background:
  • His mother was born in Loreto
  • Amazonian cultural influence informs the storytelling

Defending children’s reading and physical books

• Asked about claims that modern platforms reduce children’s reading, Eslava highlights:
  • His teaching experience
  • His research habits
• He cites a Swedish report suggesting that after setbacks (including the pandemic), people are returning to paper books—which, he argues, supports learning better than purely virtual reading.

Validation and impact with students

• After finishing the book, Eslava shared it with three girls in Lima who had received educational support from Santillana (linked to programs featuring the “girls from One Piece”).
• He says their emotional reaction—they were moved to tears—confirmed that the story resonates beyond his coastal middle-class perspective.

Launch information

• The author states the book will be officially presented on Wednesday, April 8 at 7:00 PM at the Anfiteatro de Miraflores (Himna de Miraflores), Arequipa.
• Note: viewers are advised to verify the dates on social media.

Presenters / contributors

• Jorge Eslava — author of El corazón de Misha
• Interview host / presenter — unnamed in the subtitles