Where I Belong
Binding: Hardcover
Age 12+
Children's & Young Adult Fiction & True Stories
Written by a Guatemalan immigrant who came to the United States as an infant, this story of prejudice and perseverance traces a young woman's personal struggles in an age of anti-immigrant, anti-Latinx sentiment.
Guatemalan-American high school senior Milagros "Millie" Vargas has lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, ever since her parents sought asylum there when she was a baby. Now a citizen, Millie devotes herself to school and to caring for her younger siblings while her mom works as a housekeeper for the wealthy Wheeler family. But when Mr. Wheeler, a 2018 Senate candidate, alludes to Millie's achievements in a campaign speech, he inadvertently makes Millie the center of a statewide immigration debate. Dealing with journalists, trolls, anonymous threats, and the Wheelers' good intentions—especially those of Mr. Wheeler's son, Charlie—forces Millie to confront the complexity of her past and the uncertainty of her future.
Creators
Marcia Mickelson was born in Guatemala and immigrated to the United States as an infant. She attended high school in New Jersey and then graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in American Studies. She is the author of five novels including Star Shining Brightly, The Huaca, and Where I Belong. She lives in Texas with her husband and three sons.
Reviews
In Where I Belong, Guatemalan-born Milagros Vargas finds herself in the spotlight of our nation’s immigration debate. Her name is Spanish for “miracle,” an apt description of her character, but the real miracle is this novel, which takes on the racism and classism that plague our society while never forgetting that this is also a place for love. In Milagros Vargas, author Marcia Argueta Mickelson has brilliantly captured a voice for our times.
A thought-provoking book. Filled with courage, Millie will show us the way to a kinder, more compassionate way of being in the world.
