Red, White, and Whole

By Rajani LaRocca

New York, NY : Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Fiction.

Reha is one of the only Indian American students at her school. She struggles to find where she fits, constantly balancing her Indian culture and her American culture without disappointing her parents. Her parents are very strict because they want to make sure she has as many opportunities as she can but because of this, she has a difficult time connecting to them, especially her mom. This make it even more difficult when Reha discovers that her mother is very sick with leukemia. With this discovery, she sets out to become the perfect daughter but instead learns more about her mother, herself, and how to combine both of her worlds.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves novels in verse or diverse reads. It is similar in some aspects to Others Words for Home. Reading about Reha and her family really helped me to come to know her Indian culture more and the struggles that immigrant families go through. Reha was a strong character that was easy to connect with as she struggled and found hope along her journey. The author's writing style is beautiful and very symbolic which adds so much depth to the story.

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