Author Maria Cristina "Cristy" Marrero says she was surprised when she got a call from the Freeport Memorial Library asking her to read her book at an event for the public.

Marrero’s novel, “Las Imperfectas,” is written in Spanish — and that can be a problem for authors like herself trying to get recognition in the United States. There’s no New York Times bestseller list for Hispanic books,” says Marrero, a native of Puerto Rico who lives in Ridgewood, Queens.  “It doesn’t matter how much you sell, you never have the same recognition.” Marrero hopes that presenting her book and reading it to an audience at the Freeport library will help change that. The library will feature its first visits by Hispanic authors as a celebration of September as Hispanic Heritage Month.

Although the library has commemorated the occasion in past years with various activities relating to Hispanic culture, and Hispanic authors have visited its Spanish language book club, this will be the first time Hispanic authors who write books in Spanish will participate in a program for the general public. Marrero will be featured on Sept. 21 presenting "Las Imperfectas.” Kianny Antigua, a native of the Dominican Republic, will present her novel “Calendula” on Sept. 28.

The authors will be reading from their books in both Spanish and English and taking questions. Both events are free.

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