‘An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic’, recently released by Quill Tree Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, is a fantasy adventure story featuring Rosa Coelho, a 12-year-old monster hunter.
Rosa lives in a poor neighborhood known as Os Pés and follows the Coelho family tradition, led by her grandmother Leonor, of capturing all sorts of monsters and creatures. One day, the Ministry of Monsters threatens to revoke her grandmother’s license due to financial debts.
“The book is about a character fighting for her dreams, wanting to escape poverty, and planning a heist against the oppressive government. […] My protagonist has much love and compassion for those facing similar situations,” the author shared in an interview with news agency Lusa from the United States.
Set in a fantastical universe, the narrative targets readers aged 9 to 12, incorporating Portuguese words and settings inspired by the landscape and traditions of Azorean culture.
Sarah J. Mendonça, aged 35, lives and works in Wisconsin, near the Canada-U.S. border. While her mother is American, her father hails from São Miguel in the Azores, having emigrated with his family first to Canada and later to the United States.
The author speaks little Portuguese but maintains connections with her paternal family and Azorean culture. Though never having visited mainland Portugal, she frequently travels to São Miguel.
“My father always wanted to show me everything about the island. We spent a lot of time driving and going to the beach—I remember the black sand. My favorite place is Furnas. It was a huge inspiration for the book; we love it when it’s foggy, it feels so mystical,” she described.
Beyond the Portuguese references, Rosa and her grandmother Leonor’s story draws inspiration from the resilience of those facing hardships: “There is a lot of blame placed on the poor, but I believe it’s about luck. It’s not the fault of the person wrestling against a system that traps them,” she explained.
‘An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic’ marks the literary debut of Sarah J. Mendonça, who nearly gave up on publishing after numerous rejections.
“I decided to invest everything in this story, infusing it with my dedication and interests. I sent the book to 59 people, reaching a point with over thirty rejections. It was very challenging. I’ve gone through a lot, sacrificed much, and took temporary, low-paid jobs to find time to write” for over 15 years, she shared.
Eventually securing a positive response from a literary agent, she signed with a publisher from one of the largest editorial groups in the United States and is already working on the second volume of ‘An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic’.
Sarah J. Mendonça reflects that as a child, she was unaware that becoming a writer was an option, but “I was an avid reader during classes, on the way home. I was always reading,” she recalled.
“My father wasn’t a reader but always encouraged me, took me to bookshops, sales, always buying for me. Every night he told me stories. My mother was the same, loved going to the library with me,” she remembered.
As a reader, books always helped her feel visible.
“People often forget how tough it is being a kid—the first fights with a best friend, school changes, handling myriad emotions—and stories are essential for navigating these stages. Books exist to help manage strong emotions. The wonderful aspect is the chance to become someone’s favorite author,” she expressed.
The target audience spans childhood to pre-adolescence in a challenging and competitive literary market as readers become more autonomous and attention-diverse, while compensation for writers in this segment remains lower, Mendonça explained.
“Most authors have jobs beyond writing; I don’t feel bad about it,” she acknowledged, holding a full-time administrative job.
After summer, Sarah J. Mendonça plans to engage students and libraries with ‘An Encantadora’s Guide to Monstros and Magic’: “In adult books, you need to be big on release days. For this age bracket [9-12 years] it’s more of a long-term journey.”
“I’m now in a place where I can say I won’t stop writing. I understand that publishing is beyond my control, as is achieving success. But I also know I’ll keep telling stories,” she affirmed.
