Red, White, and Whole
$9.99 USD
paperback
Now in paperback, this Newbery Honor– and Walter Award–winning novel in verse is a heartbreakingly hopeful story about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia.
Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family and their close-knit community. But Reha’s parents don’t understand why she’s conflicted—they only notice when Reha doesn’t meet their strict expectations. Reha feels especially disconnected from her mother, or Amma.
Then Reha finds out that Amma is sick. Really sick.
Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though she can’t stomach the sight of blood, is determined to make her Amma well again. She’ll be the perfect daughter, even if it means giving up her attempts to fit in at school, if it means saving her Amma’s life.
From acclaimed author Rajani LaRocca comes a radiant novel in verse—which the author describes as “the book of her heart”—about the ties that bind and how to go on in the face of unthinkable loss.
Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in Massachusetts, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor–winning novel in verse, Red, White, and Whole. She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of novels and picture books, fiction and nonfiction, in prose and poetry. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, she lives outside Boston with her family
“Truly, one of the most heart-expanding stories ever, filled with kindness, music, mythology, all of those things. But above all, here is a story of love, and the ways in which it transcends nationalities, age, science, and fear. In LaRocca’s gifted hands, her Reha shows us how to live in the world, even when it feels divided, even then.” -Kathi Appelt, National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor-winning author of The Underneath and Keeper
"Red, White, and Whole is the lyrical and poignant journey of a first generation Indian American girl growing up in the eighties. LaRocca weaves together a beautiful mix of themes-- identity, belonging, love, devastating loss, and eighties pop music rendered in seamless verse. A book I wish I had growing up in the eighties!" -Veera Hiranandani, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Night Diary
"This book is a marvel — at once so rich and so spare." -Ali Benjamin, National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Thing About Jellyfish and The Next Great Paulie Fink
"The seamless blend of ancient Indian folklore and modern western storytelling makes this winner a standout. Red, White, and Whole gets my vote." -Nikki Grimes, author of Ordinary Hazards and Garvey's Choice
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