Oscar Hijuelos

<p>The Cuban American novelist Oscar Hijuelos (1951-2013) became the first Hispanic to win the Pulitzer Prize for his novel <i>The Mambo King Plays Songs of Love</i>. An instant bestseller at the time, which perfectly captured a moment in the musical history of New York, the book is considered a classic today. Other books for which he is well-known are <i>A Simple Habana Melody</i> and <i>Empress of the Splendid Season</i>.</p>