It’s my pleasure to welcome Darlene P. Campos and share our interview about her new novel, THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (Blue Handle Publishing, 2025). The story begins in Germany, as the Nazi’s begin to terrorize the Jewish community. Dahlia, the daughter of an Ecuadorian official, befriends a Jewish boy named Werner. As their friendship grows, Dahlia is determined to help Werner escape. With the help of her parents, and at great risk, they are able to bring Werner to Ecuador. Readers will learn about the interesting history of Ecuador and the community that supported Werner. Based on actual events, the story unfolds with the complexities of friendship and loss. Every story about the Holocaust and survivors of the war offers a unique perspective and honors those whose experiences are shared. THE CENTER OF THE EARTH also invites readers to learn about Ecuador, its landscape, history, and culture. I’m so pleased to have the opportunity to learn more about Darlene’s journey in creating this book.
Can you tell me a bit about what inspired you to write Werner and Dahlia’s story? How did you discover the history of Holocaust survivors in Ecuador during the war?
I’ve always loved history and wanted to write a historical fiction novel for children, but I couldn’t decide on a topic. Thanks to my uncle Alejandro, who told me about the documentary An Unknown Country, I discovered the little-known story of Jewish refugees finding safety in Ecuador during the Holocaust. As an Ecuadorian-American, I was immediately drawn to this subject, and I wrote the first draft of The Center of the Earth in 28 days. This was back in 2018. It took me about a year to sign with my former literary agent, and then it took almost four (!) years to find a publishing house. In total, The Center of the Earth took seven years to finally be published.
In the book, Dahlia’s family helps Werner escape to Ecuador with them. Do you know how many Jewish refugees found safety in Ecuador?
I interviewed eight refugees who escaped to Ecuador when they were children, which gave me an excellent perspective for my novel. Most of the refugees who had already died left behind written accounts of their experiences, and I also used these accounts for my research process. In 2018 and 2019, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit the USHMM archives in person as well as to meet some of the people I had interviewed over the phone. Of the eight people I interviewed, only two are still living. When I first spoke to them, they ranged from 87 to 95 years old. I really miss the ones who are no longer alive and cherish the ones still here.
The exact number of refugees who went to Ecuador isn’t perfectly pinpointed, but the ballpark number is around 3,500. However, the estimated number of descendants is 83,000!
Have you been to Ecuador and visited the places described in the book?
Yes, but it’s been a long time. I have a lot of family in Guayaquil, and for some years, my grandparents lived in Playas, which is 60 miles away from Guayaquil. The last time I visited Ecuador was in 2004, so I drew lots of my descriptions from my childhood memories. Like any place, Ecuador has changed a lot over the decades, so thanks to the memories of those I interviewed, I was better able to paint a picture of what the country looked like in their childhood days. Additionally, I used the National Ecuadorian Photography archive for visuals.
You did a lot of research for the book that you summarize, along with many photos. Was there anything interesting you discovered that didn’t make it into the book, but you’d like to share?
This is more of a personal tidbit, but an interesting one. As I got to know the refugees more, they shared their enthusiasm for Judaism with me. I thought it was beautiful how they remain steadfast in their faith and identity, despite what they went through as children. Since I was writing a Jewish character, I took conversion classes at synagogues to learn more about Judaism, but I was not planning to convert, and the rabbis knew this. They understood I was only in the class for book research and never pressured me to change my religious views.
But then, in 2024, I converted to Judaism alongside my husband. Like I mentioned, I wasn’t planning to convert, but fate had other plans. In fact, my husband and I had our adult b’nei mitzvah earlier this this. Writing The Center of the Earth changed my life in ways I never imagined, and I am truly grateful for that.
What is the Jewish community in Ecuador like today?
It’s smaller than it was during World War II, but steady. Before the arrival of the refugees in the 1930s and 1940s, the estimated number of Jews in Ecuador was only 14. Now, there are about 600, only a fraction of the thousands there used to be. Most of the refugees and their families immigrated to the United States, but some remained in Ecuador for the rest of their lives. There is a Jewish school in Quito called Colegio Einstein, a Chabad house, and a few other synagogues throughout Quito and Guayaquil. The community is going strong and close-knit. There is also a park in Guayaquil called Parque Municipal Jerusalén, which contains Jewish symbols like a menorah, a Star of David, and a small-scale replica of ancient Jerusalem.
What do you hope readers take away from THE CENTER OF THE EARTH?
The main message is that, although everyone has their differences, we are more alike than we realize, and it is possible to be friends rather than enemies.
A secondary message is never give up. It took over 150 rejections and years of trying for The Center of the Earth to become a real book. Imagine if I had quit after 149 rejections. Never stop trying to make your dreams come true.
Thank you, Darlene!
Darlene P. Campos earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso and her BA in Creative Writing with a minor in Medicine & Society studies from the University of Houston. She is the author of young adult novels Behind Mount Rushmore, Summer Camp is Cancelled, and Heaven Isn’t Me as well as the bilingual picture book, Mr. Ray’s Barbershop / La BarberÍa Del Sr. Ray.
Campos has been featured in “Book Riot,” “School Library Journal,” and the radio show “Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say.” When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, exercising, going to museums, and catching up on lost sleep. She is Ecuadorian-American and lives in Houston, TX with her husband, David. Her upcoming middle-grade historical novel The Center of the Earth will be published by Blue Handle and released in 2025.