Tucson Festival of Books

Dora Rodriguez (She/Her)


In a life-saving attempt to flee El Salvador’s civil war in 1980, Dora Rodriguez traveled north and almost died in the Arizona desert. She has spent much of her life since trying to help people facing the same challenges she did. A vocal advocate for migrant rights, she also heads Salvavision, a Tucson nonprofit that provides a variety of support services to migrants and deportees. The mother of five and a grandmother, Rodriguez reflects on her remarkable life in a new memoir titled "Dora: A Daughter of Unforgiving Terrain."  

Arizona author Instagram


Scheduled events:
Carrying Home: Migration Memories
Examine the history and impact of immigration in the U.S. and hear stories from three authors who look at the phenomenon from distinct perspectives in their groundbreaking books. The authors all have personal ties to immigration, either as immigrants themselves or as the descendants of immigrants.

Nuestras Raíces Stage (Seats 150)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 14, 1:00 pm - 1:55 pm
Nuestras Raices
Signing area: Pima County Public Library/Nuestras Raíces/Craft Tent & Signing Area (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Authors: Daisy Hernández, Daniel Olivas, Dora Rodriguez
Moderator: Carlos Parra
Sponsor: Session made possible courtesy of Pima County Public Library
Dora Rodriguez
Dora: Daughter of an Unforgiving Terrain

Border Community Alliance, Booth #320 (Seats 1)
Sun, Mar 15, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Nuestras Raices

Author: Dora Rodriguez
Seeing the Southwest
In this session, the authors of four Southwest Books of the Year will discuss the role that landscape and culture played in the development of their work.

UA Library/Special Collections (Seats 110)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 15, 2:30 pm - 3:25 pm
Southwest Books of the Year
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Authors: Craig Childs, E.A. Hanks, Ann Hedlund, Dora Rodriguez
Moderator: Gregory McNamee
Sponsors: Session made possible courtesy of University of Arizona Libraries, University of Arizona Press, Barbara Smith

Book:
Dora
A Daughter of Unforgiving Terrain
Nuestras Raices
Resiliencia Publishing
July 2025
ISBN 9781967254057
170 pages
The author will make this book available for sale at the Author Pavilion during the Festival.