Isabella Tanikumi, author of Yearnings of the Heart, filed a $250 million lawsuit against Disney for allegedly stealing her life story and adapting it into the highest grossing animation flick of all time, Frozen.
Tanikumi published an autobiography in 2010,in which she revealed introspective details about growing up in the Andean mountains in Peru. Here is a synopsis of her book:
Tanikumi, who takes her readers on a journey through various phases of her remarkable life– from her family’s survival during the devastating earthquake of 1970 in Huaraz, Peru, to the trials of overcoming heartbreaks of her youth. Conquering personal insecurities led to exploring the reaches of her intellect while facing the tragic and untimely death of her sister, Laura.
Despite language barriers and the consequent obstacles of fitting in, Tamikumi wittily narrates her struggles with her assimilation into American life and culture. Forging many enduring relationships most notably with Julie, who rescued her from the depths of grief. Tanikumi also interweaves a dialogue with her long lost love Eduardo. This novel tacitly and expressly addresses Eduardo as a salient recipient of her reflections. Ultimately, Tanikumi is able to share her gratitude and joy as well as her satiable thirst for life.
Now she is going after the studio for using the plot and characters from her script rather than details from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen”, according to TMZ.