“No matter where I go, America or India, I don’t quite fit.”
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca is a middle grade novel written in verse about a 1st generation Indian immigrant Reha. Reha is a 13-year-old girl living in the Boston area in the 1980s. Reha feels like she is stuck between two worlds, school where she is the only Indian American and spends time with her friend Rachel, and the weekends where she has her family, holidays, traditions, and her friend Sunny. Reha was very close to her parents, but as she is becoming a teenager she wants more independence she is drifting farther from her mother, no matter their names (Reha means star and Punam, moon). She is getting especially far from her parents because they don’t seem to understand why she is conflicted, they only seem to notice when Reha doesn’t meet their expectations.
SPOILER BELOW
But, when tragedy strikes and (spoiler alert) Reha’s mother is diagnosed with Leukemia, Reha, an aspiring doctor who she can’t stand the sight of blood, had to try to be the best daughter she can, anything to restore her mother to health.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, even though I am not the biggest fan of books written entirely in verse. This book is great for kids 9+ and I highly recommend it. This book seamlessly blends themes of love, loss, belonging, and finding your voice. Although it is fictional, it uses real experiences from the author, making it believable and even more meaningful.
