New Book: Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World by Sabina Berman

English: Close up of Sabina Berman Español: Cl...
Sabina Berman (Photo: Wikipedia)

A transporting and brilliant novel narrated by an unforgettable woman: Karen Nieto, an autistic savant whose idiosyncrasies prove her greatest gifts.


As intimate as it is profound, and as clear-eyed as it is warmhearted, Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World marks an extraordinary debut by the award-winning Mexican playwright, journalist, and poet Sabina Berman.


Karen Nieto passed her earliest years as a feral child, left alone to wander the vast beach property near her family’s failing tuna cannery. But when her aunt Isabelle comes to Mexico to take over the family business, she discovers a real girl amidst the squalor. 


So begins a miraculous journey for autistic savant Karen, who finds freedom not only in the love and patient instruction of her aunt but eventually at the bottom of the ocean swimming among the creatures of the sea. Despite how far she’s come, Karen remains defined by the things she can’t do—until her gifts with animals are finally put to good use at the family’s fishery. 

Sabina Berman, translated by Lisa Dillman

Her plan is brilliant: Consolation Tuna will be the first humane tuna fishery on the planet. Greenpeace approves, fame and fortune follow, and Karen is swept on a global journey that explores how we live, what we eat, and how our lives can defy even our own wildest expectations.


Sabina Berman is a four-time winner of the Mexican National Theatre Prize for her plays; she also writes filmscripts, poetry, prose, and journalism, and has published several novellas. Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World, which will be published in twenty-five territories, is her first novel. She lives in Mexico.


Lisa Dillman teaches in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Emory University and has translated numerous works of fiction by Argentine, Mexican, Catalan, and Spanish writers. She lives in Decatur, Georgia.

Spread the love

More Articles for You

What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About Death, Technology, and Social Change

In a world where technology seems to dominate every facet of our lives, there’s something profoundly humbling about turning back …

Spread the love

Beyond Bread: Bakers in the Family, Pan de Agua and Casabe

I can picture us. Two, little rail-thin girls with long braided hair down our backs, holding hands as we walked …

Spread the love

How to Pull Back the Curtain: Heroes, Flaws, Boundaries and Creativity

I think a lot about exposure. I guess it comes with the territory of being a writer, and a communications …

Spread the love

Curating Caribbean Heritage: A List of Must-Read Books

This is how I honor and celebrate the diversity and richness of the islands and their cultural diasporas, reflecting on …

Spread the love

On Growing up in East Harlem: Italian (Barese) and Puerto Rican Heritage

I was thrilled to chat with podcaster, and fellow author and family historian Bob Sorrentino earlier this month. During our …

Spread the love

Food Culture: The Best Podcast for “Top Chef” Fans

The food we eat, how we eat and prepare it is so intricately tied to our culture, our heritage and …

Spread the love