Everything within and in between

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Title:

Everything within and in between

Author:

Barthelmess, Nikki, author.

ISBN:

9780062976901

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

328 pages ; 22 cm.

Subject Term:

High school students -- Fiction.

Teenage girls -- Fiction.

Mexicans -- United States -- Fiction.

Multiculturalism -- Fiction.

Grandparents as parents -- Fiction.

Identity (Psychology) -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

California -- Fiction.

Genre:

Bildungsromans.

Summary:

"Santa Barbara, California. Raised by her strict Mexican grandma, Ri Fernández has never been allowed to learn Spanish. She has always been pushed away from the neighborhood they call home and toward her best friend's world of mansions and country clubs in the hopes that it will bring Ri closer to achieving the "American Dream." Her mother disappeared when Ri was young, so when Ri finds an unanswered letter from her mom begging for a visit, Ri decides to reclaim what her grandma kept from her: a language and a mother. When nothing goes as planned, Ri struggles to navigate the different interweaving threads of her mixed heritage that make her who she is." --

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	TEEN FICTION BAR	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	TEEN FICTION BAR	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Color Me In meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in Everything Within and In Between, a deeply honest coming-of-age story about reclaiming a heritage buried under assimilation, the bonds within families, and defining who you are for yourself.

For Ri Fernández's entire life, she's been told, "We live in America and we speak English." Raised by her strict Mexican grandma, Ri has never been allowed to learn Spanish.

What's more, her grandma has pulled Ri away from the community where they once belonged. In its place, Ri has grown up trying to fit in among her best friend's world of mansions and country clubs in an attempt try to live out her grandmother's version of the "American Dream."

In her heart, Ri has always believed that her mother, who disappeared when Ri was young, would accept her exactly how she is and not try to turn her into someone she's never wanted to be. So when Ri finds a long-hidden letter from her mom begging for a visit, she decides to reclaim what Grandma kept from her: her heritage and her mom.

But nothing goes as planned. Her mom isn't who Ri imagined she would be and finding her doesn't make Ri's struggle to navigate the interweaving threads of her mixed heritage any less complicated. Nobody has any idea of who Ri really is--not even Ri herself.

Everything Within and In Between is a powerful new young adult novel about one young woman's journey to rediscover her roots and redefine herself from acclaimed author Nikki Barthelmess.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

After 17-year-old Ri Fernández, who is Mexican American and white, finds a letter her grandmother had hidden away, revealing her absent mother's location and desire to reconnect ("I've had a mom who wanted to be in my life all along. And Grandma never told me"), Ri, who could not read the Spanish-language letter without Google Translate, decides to transfer from French to Spanish class. The decision quickly sets Ri on a path of rebelliousness and introspection, leading her to meet up with her mother in secret, reject her Mexican grandmother's push to assimilate, and reassess her closest relationships with fresh eyes. In Ri's open, occasionally sarcastic first-person narration, Barthelmess (Quiet No More) examines identity, complicated intergenerational relationships, and the power of connection to one's cultural heritage and community with sincerity and insight in this nuanced contemporary coming-of-age novel. Ri is an absorbing protagonist who's allowed to mess up, reckon with the complexities of her identity and privilege, and grow on the page, and readers will find much to love in Ri's journey as she sets out to define who she is and what she wants for herself. Ages 13--up. Agent: Sarah Gerton, Curtis Brown. (Oct.)

Kirkus Review

A Mexican American girl fights to reclaim her culture. Maria is a high school junior in Santa Barbara, California, torn between her anger toward her maternal grandmother, who denies her any cultural connections to her Mexican ancestry, and her admiration for this same woman who raised her and works tirelessly keeping house for a wealthy family in order to give Ri access to more opportunities. Ri's grandmother wants her to assimilate, even discouraging her from learning Spanish, exchanging their Catholic church for a Whiter version of Christianity, and urging her to hang out with the kids she deems good influences like her White friend, Brittany. Ri, whose biological father was a White American she's never met, usually obeys her grandmother's wishes--until the day she discovers a letter in Spanish from her estranged mother, written two years earlier, that upends everything. Ashamed that she had to use an online translation tool to understand the letter, Ri switches from French to Spanish class to connect with her heritage. There, she discovers that her Latinx classmates are not all fluent and she is not the only outsider, as she had believed, and that these kids whom her friends, guidance counselor, and grandmother had warned her against also hold complex relationships with their cultural identities. Barthelmess' story thoughtfully explores intergenerational cultural dynamics and racial microaggressions as it follows Ri on her journey of self-discovery. An honest and engaging narrative. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

For Ri Fernández, living in America has meant not learning a single word of Spanish. Her Mexican grandmother forbids her to learn and strongly believes that if they live in the States, they should only speak English. Obsessed with the American dream, Ri's grandmother wants her to aspire to belong to a world filled with country clubs, mansions, and high-end living. Yet Ri has always wanted to know more about her heritage and her mother, who disappeared when Ri was younger. One day, Ri finds a letter that leads her to pursue those questions about her background and to visit her estranged mother. But will she find what she is looking for and learn more about herself in the process? This lush coming-of-age tale will fire readers' emotions as they follow Ri's quest to learn more about her heritage, with some serious bumps along the way. But what's life without growth and understanding? This tale, full of hope and realistic situations, will speak to those who enjoy stories exploring identity and true purpose.

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

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