About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager feels like an outsider within their own community or is struggling with the disconnect between their physical appearance and their cultural heritage. Set in the late 1960s, it follows Rico Fuentes, a light-skinned Cuban American boy in Harlem who feels he does not fit in with his peers or the expectations of his neighborhood. Seeking a fresh start, he moves to rural Wisconsin to work on a farm, hoping to find a place where he can simply be himself. This coming-of-age story explores deep themes of racial identity, the search for belonging, and the courage required to define one's own path. It is a poignant, realistic look at the adolescent desire to escape and the eventual realization that you carry your history with you. Given the historical setting and mature themes including drug use and prejudice, it is best suited for older teens navigating complex social dynamics.
