A Book Children’s Book Review: LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE 

Belinda Hernández Arriaga and Veronica Castillo’s children’s picture book LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE is a bold and beautiful addition to the cannon of children’s literature. That boldness is in prose, art, and therapeutic concept.LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE acknowledges that adults can try to run away from the reality that their children live in a disparate world — but they cannot hide from it forever.

It is a children’s book for a child, but, for parents, older siblings, friends, and teachers— it is a road map. It is a way to build an emotional safety net for children and families who are disproportionately affected, by forced deportation, incarceration, and early death. This book is not for “the faint of heart”.

As a Bioethicist — I am aware that writings on loss involving children usually are directed at parents who loose children. LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE acknowledges that there are whole generations of children who loose their adults, and siblings, who also need support and protection from the most virulent consequence of their valid fears, the allostatic load of oppression, and potentially devastating grief.

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An Historical Link to Bioethics: The author of LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE is Belinda Hernández Arriaga, Ed. D, MSW, LCSW. Dr. Arriaga is an assistant professor of psychology at University of San Francisco. The University of San Francisco has had a profound presence in the history of bioethics. And Dr. Arriaga’s cross disciplinary work truly reflects that history.

Though I feel somewhat like a character out of the animated film INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE saying this, Bioethics is a cross disciplinary field, clinical ethics is one aspect of it. But there are no coincidences in the universe — so how a book for kids and their families is related to bioethics “…one more time;”

The recently late Dr. Albert Jonsen PhD (1931-2020) was the president of University of San Francisco from 1969- to 1972, Where Dr. Arriaga trained and completed her doctorate in education and following her work in therapy. From 1972-1973 Dr. Jonsen left the University of San Francisco answering the cal to be on on National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research), charged with formulating regulations and clarifying the bioethical paradigm that should govern the use of humans research studies —across race class and culture. The report of the commission was in part written by Dr. Jonsen as well and it is named the Belmont Report because the commissioners met in the Belmont Hotel in washington for those years.

The report has been codified in the Federal Registry of policy and procedure for all research, drug development , public health medical and such related to human beings in the USA. It has become the model for bioethically sound medical related research and drug development for much the world. Al Jonsen was among the named authors of the Belmont Report.

The Belmont Commission and the subsequent report arose from the demand by the 600 African American Men who had been immorally and anti-scientific supposed research study on “The Natural History of Syphilis in the Negro Male'‘ by the US PUBLIC HEALTH SEVICE — from the 1930s to the 1970s— being denied treatment for the disease for more than 30 years after Penicillin had become— and remains— the primary treatment for Syphilis. The Belmont Report is the summary of the application of the findings from the congressional hearing which the men in the US Public Health Service Syphilis Study demanded be done as apart of their law suit which was settled under gag order. The men wanted to prevent further atrocities of the like they had suffered to reoccur under USA purview so despite the gag order they demanded the inquiry and the commission, and the report and establishing scientifically valid research protocols for all USA funded medical research.

Dr. Belinda Hernández Arriaga’s cross disciplinary, cross racial, cross cultural clinical work with a vulnerable client population derived from the need to serve her community as well as history. It is a direct extension of the work demanded by 600 Black men a Tuskeggee Alabama through their already and still incomparable famed attorney Reverend Fred Gray, Esq. Dr. Hernandez’s work across race classed culture was outlined broadly, and is related to the rules of medical and psychological care as requiring prima-facie dependence on the bioethical rules of Beneficience, Autonomy and Justice. Precisely the same principles which the children’s book LOVE AND MONSTERS IN SOFIA’S LIFE so elegantly wields.