Widow Shares Intimate Memoir Blending Her Story with Husband's Unpublished Novel

In May 2026, Lori Carlson-Hijuelos will release a poignant memoir titled "A Writing Marriage" that offers a rare glimpse into her life with her late husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Oscar Hijuelos. The book is a blend of Lori's personal recollections and excerpts from Hijuelos' unpublished novel "Blue Antiquity," which he was working on at the time of his death in 2013.

Lori describes the memoir as an "unexpected pilgrimage" that allowed her to explore the heart of her marriage to the renowned Cuban-American novelist. Through her vivid memories and Hijuelos' own words, the book celebrates their creative partnership and the enduring love that defined their union. Hijuelos, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1990, passed away at the age of 62, leaving behind an unfinished literary work that Lori now shares with the world.

"A Writing Marriage" is a one-of-a-kind narrative that illuminates the Hispanic sensibility and verve that permeated the couple's lives in the literary circles of New York City. It is a poignant exploration of faith, identity, and the power of true love to transcend even the most profound loss.