Sept/Oct 2025 On the Same Page Selection
Cantoras by Caro De Robertis is a beautifully written historical novel that follows five queer women in Uruguay during the military dictatorship of the late 1970s and beyond. Seeking freedom under repression, they find sanctuary in a remote shack, building a refuge where they can live and love openly despite the dangers around them. Over three decades, their bond becomes a source of healing, resilience, and chosen family as they navigate political turmoil, personal discovery, and the ongoing struggle for democracy. Through alternating perspectives and shifting timelines, De Robertis creates a lyrical portrait of found family, political courage, and the healing power of shared sanctuary—affirming the quiet courage it takes to “sing” even in silence.
A writer of Uruguayan origins, Caro De Robertis is the author of six novels, including Cantoras, The Palace of Eros, and more, as well as the nonfiction book So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-spirit People of Color. Their books have been translated into seventeen languages and have received numerous honors, including two Stonewall Book Awards, a Golden Poppy Octavia Butler Award and the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature, which they were the first openly nonbinary writer to receive. De Robertis is also an award-winning literary translator and a professor at San Francisco State University. They live in Oakland, California with their two children.
Caro will be in conversation with Kate Schatz on October 5.
Kate Schatz is a New York Times bestselling author, educator, public speaker, and agitator for justice and liberation for all people. She is the co-author of Do the Work: An Anti-Racist Activity Book with W. Kamau Bell; the creator of the popular "Rad Women" book series; and her novel Where the Girls Were comes out in March 2026. Kate lives in the Bay Area with her wife, children, and pets.
This program is sponsored by Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.
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Related Events
Author: Caro De Robertis in Conversation with Kate Schatz
Oct 5, 3 p.m. Main Library, Skylight Gallery, 6th Floor
https://on.sfpl.org/CantorasAuthor
Book Club: Caro De Robertis's Cantoras
Oct. 21., 6:30 p.m., Virtual Library
https://on.sfpl.org/CantorasBook
“De Robertis’ writing feels like a living thing, lapping over the reader like the ocean. Carefully crafted and expertly observed, each sentence is an elegant gift…a stunning novel about queer love, womanhood, and personal and political revolution.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)