Famous Tico author José León Sánchez hospitalized

Acclaimed Costa Rican author José León Sánchez, 82, remains in the hospital after suffering a heart attack two weeks ago. Sánchez’s wife, Mireya Chavarría, confirmed that Sánchez has a history of heart problems. 

Chavarría said Sánchez is currently at a branch of Hospital México where he’s recuperating. The author should be released from the hospital soon. 

Sánchez is the author of “The Island of Lonely Men,” the story of his 30 years in prison on San Lucas Island, off the shores of the Pacific port city of Puntarenas. He served time for a crime he always maintained he did not commit. The country’s Supreme Court absolved him of the crime in 1998. 

When he entered prison, Sánchez was only 19 and illiterate. He learned to read and write in prison. “The Island of Lonely Men” has been translated into 25 languages and made into a movie in Mexico.