Martha is first and foremost an educator as her life’s work has been dedicated to teaching and learning.
She has explored this on a global stage that started in Chicago and stretched to universities in South Africa, Poland, Kazakhstan, Scotland and England and currently to preschoolers in Sayulita, Mexico.
My Publications
Also, available in Spanish.
New Book Release - Martha’s First Novel
Fragile Courage
Fragile Courage tells the story of Melina who struggles to align her bold dreams with her immigrant family’s expectations and Margot whose family expects nothing short of noteworthy accomplishments from their only child. At first resisting each other, their paths converge and together they discover the real meaning of courage. Its focus on cultural conflict and family tension is rich with ideas for contemporary book club discussions.
EXCERPT:
“Pressing her fingers hard against her cheeks to stop the tears, Melina barely made out the blurred shapes of Mamá and Papá as the bus pulled away from the station. She folded herself into the sticky, plastic seat and squinted out the rear window until they were just fuzzy specks on the horizon. At the bus stop, they seemed so small. Mamá held on to Papá as if her whole being depended on it, while Papá summoned all the strength his tired body had to offer, just to hold her up. He wore his mask of courage, the one he used when the family heard a strange knock on the door, frightened it might be the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.”
— Fragile Courage
Other Publications
Dreaming Forward
"Martha captures the spirit and vibrance of our community in the most authentic, inspiring and thought provoking manner possible. By telling stories of struggle, perseverance and triumph, she breathes life into everyday joy human beings have at their fingertips when we listen to and value our life stories.”
Juan Salagdo, M.U.P.
Chancellor, Chicago City Colleges
"In Dreaming Forward: Latino Voices Enhance the Mosaic, Martha Casazza not only tells the stories and describes the struggles of Latino students, she also provides a context that gives meaning to these stories and struggles. The themes that result from these stories represent concepts that will benefit every educator."
Hunter Boylan, Ph.D.
Former Director, National Center for Developmental Education, Appalachian State University
The Healing Power of Mexico: 16 Stories of Culture, Community, and Healing
Martha Wrote Chapter 6
“Small Hands Build Cultural Bridges: Starting a Community-Based School”
Set in the vibrant Pacific coastal region of Nayarit and Jalisco, this book brings together diverse voices-healers, mothers, educators, artists, and community leaders-who have each experienced profound transformation through their relationship with Mexico. From Indigenous cosmology and ancestral wisdom to food as medicine, emotional healing, and community care, these stories reveal that healing unfolds through land, community, culture, and connection.
This book is also a living contribution: all net retail proceeds support Mujeres Movimiento, a grassroots organization empowering Mexican women through education, health, and economic opportunity.
The Healing Power of Mexico is a collaborative book project bringing together a diverse group of voices connected to the Bahía de Banderas region-through ancestry, residency, and lived experience.
View All Publications
My Interests
