Eye of the Storm wins two 2026 International Latino Book Awards

Charles Gomez’s debut novel Eye of the Storm (Second Edition) won two honors from the 2026 International Latino Book Awards, including Gold for the Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Fiction Book category. The recognition highlights a Cuban American family saga that blends psychological realism, Afro-Cuban Santeria, and themes of trauma, survival and forgiveness.

Why it matters: - The awards put Charles Gomez’s debut novel in front of a wider literary audience and signal strong recognition for a book built around trauma, faith and family survival. - Eye of the Storm (Second Edition) also reflects a broader appetite for magic realism and Cuban American stories rooted in lived emotional and cultural experience.

What happened: - Eye of the Storm (Second Edition) won two 2026 International Latino Book Awards: the Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Fiction Book of 2026 Gold Medal and Best Fiction Book 2026 in Magic Realism. - The novel centers on a Cuban American family across six turbulent decades. - The story follows Lazaro Lopez, a retired reporter confronting buried childhood trauma. - The book is available now, and readers can find the Amazon listing.

The details: - Gomez blends psychological realism with Afro-Cuban Santeria mysticism in the novel. - The narrative connects emotional upheaval with literal hurricanes. - Lazaro’s account tracks the lasting consequences of childhood experiences across a multigenerational timeline. - The story moves from vengeance toward understanding and forgiveness. - Gomez wrote the novel to explore how people survive trauma when life has broken them. - Gomez hopes to reach readers affected by childhood trauma, mental illness, domestic violence, murder, elder abuse and homophobia. - The book’s themes include faith, survival, madness, forgiveness and endurance. - Gomez spent five years completing the novel. - He underwent a heart transplant when the manuscript was three-quarters finished. - Gomez said, “My transplant gave me the gift of life, which allowed me to finally finish my debut novel.”

Between the lines: - The award wins validate a book that aims to be both literary and therapeutic, not just plot-driven. - The mix of psychological realism and spiritual elements suggests the novel treats family trauma as both a personal and cultural inheritance. - Gomez’s own transplant adds a direct personal parallel to the book’s themes of survival and renewal. - The emphasis on forgiveness gives the novel a redemption arc that sets it apart from a purely bleak trauma narrative.

What's next: - Gomez is positioned to use the award recognition to expand readership for the debut novel. - Review requests and interview inquiries are being directed through BrightKey PR for Charles “Chuck” Gomez. - The book’s awards may also strengthen interest in Gomez’s earlier work, including his autobiography Cuban Son Rising.

The bottom line: - Eye of the Storm turns a family saga about pain and endurance into award-winning fiction with cross-cultural and emotional reach.