About the Author

Saundra was born Sandra Johanna Cuellar Alvarez in Guatemala City in 1983. At 21 months old, with tumors growing in her throat, she was flown to Michigan for medical treatment on a three-month visa. Forty-two surgeries saved her life and left her with a voice that never rises above a whisper. She never went back.

She grew up in Birch Run, Michigan, believing her mother had given her away. In 2019, a suitcase of old photos turned up letters written in Spanish by her mother, Sandra, who had never stopped asking about her. A year later, her sister Melani found her on Facebook. In 2021, Saundra returned to Guatemala for the first time since she was a baby.

Above a Whisper is her story, from a childhood between two worlds to motherhood in Tucson to the family that never stopped looking.