DC Public Library System

Somewhere between bitter and sweet, Laekan Zea Kemp

eng

no index present

Ages 12+, Little, Brown and Company

novels

Somewhere between bitter and sweet

1145083712

Laekan Zea Kemp

Told in two voices, Pen, whose dream of taking over her family's restaurant has been destroyed, and Xander, a new, undocumented, employee seeking his father, form a bondHome is not a place. It's a heartbeat. Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening a pastelería next to her father's restaurant, Nacho's Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans--leaving Pen to choose between not disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she confesses to a secret she's been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho's, who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she's been too afraid to ask herself. Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho's is an opportunity for just that--a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo's, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander's immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself. Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discover where they belong in order to save the place they all call home. This stunning and poignant novel from debut author Laekan Zea Kemp explores identity, found families, and the power of food, all nestled within a courageous nd intensely loyal Chicanx community. --, From dust jacket

adolescent

Somewhere between bitter & sweet