[2] They left France with 2,200 other refugees in August 1939, aboard a rented cargo ship, the SS Winnipeg, a venture arranged by the Chilean Government through poet Pablo Neruda, with help from the Spanish Republic-in-exile, among others.

[7] In 1958, after completing one year of secondary schooling, she toured the United States with a group of Chilean students and was featured in newspaper articles comparing her beauty to that of Ingrid Bergman, Audrey Hepburn, and Sophia Loren.

[11][13] Simultaneously with her studies, she was employed as a social worker and after her graduation taught at the English College and Nascimiento Institute of Santiago for a year.

[1] Able to earn a scholarship because of her high scholastic marks, Castedo enrolled at the University of California at Los Angeles, graduating with a master's degree in Spanish-American literature in 1968.

[4][11] The family moved to Vietnam, where Ellerman served as the Minister Counselor of Economic Affairs at the American Embassy.

[13][16] The Spanish version spent five months as a number one best-seller in Spain and was nominated for the Miguel de Cervantes Prize.

[18][12] Her articles, poems and short stories have appeared in various publications, including African American Review, Americas, Amthropo's, Hispamerica and Phoebe.