What Can't Wait
Binding: Paperback
Age 14+
General Fiction
"Another day finished, gracias a Dios." Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember.
Her parents came to Houston from Mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. An ordinary life - marrying a neighborhood guy, working, having babies - ought to be good enough for her. Marisa hears something else from her calc teacher. She should study harder, ace the AP test, and get into engineering school in Austin. Some days, it all seems possible. On others, she's not even sure what she wants. When her life at home becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere - and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants - other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over. But some things just can't wait.
Creators
Ashley Hope Pérez grew up in Texas and served in the Teach for America Corps in Houston. She has worked as a translator and is completing a PhD in comparative literature. She spends most of her time reading, writing, and teaching college classes on vampire literature and Latin-American women writers. Ashley lives in Indiana with her husband, Arnulfo, and their son, Liam Miguel. Visit her online at www.ashleyperez.com.
