ria ▁V at ona ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Santiago , ▁Cuba , ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 5 8 . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ward , ▁she ▁accompanied ▁her ▁husband ▁on ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁Peru , ▁where ▁they ▁decided ▁to ▁sett le ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁Cub an ▁Revolution . ▁From ▁her ▁union ▁with ▁Ale gr ía ▁she ▁had ▁four ▁children : ▁ ▁( born ▁ 1 9 5 8 ), ▁C iro ▁Ben j am ín ▁( born ▁ 1 9 6 1 ), ▁ ▁( born ▁ 1 9 6 2 ), ▁and ▁Diego ▁( born ▁ 1 9 6 7 ). ▁ ▁After ▁Ale gr ía ' s ▁death ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁February ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁she ▁dedicated ▁herself ▁to ▁res cu ing ▁and ▁publishing ▁his ▁manuscript s . ▁For ▁this ▁purpose ▁she ▁founded ▁the ▁publishing ▁house ▁Ed iciones ▁Var ona ▁( 1 9 7 0 – 1 9 8 5 ), ▁where ▁she ▁came ▁to ▁collect ▁ 2 7 ▁titles ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁works ▁published ▁during ▁the ▁writer ' s ▁lifetime . ▁ ▁A ▁deep ▁process ▁of ▁recon nection ▁with ▁the ▁Christian ▁faith ▁led ▁Var ona ▁to ▁re define ▁her ▁literary ▁pers pect ives . ▁She ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Santiago , ▁Chile ▁to ▁purs ue ▁studies ▁in ▁Past oral ▁The ology ▁at ▁the ▁Latin ▁American ▁Institute ▁of ▁The ological ▁Studies ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁received ▁as ▁a ▁mission ary ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 .