YouTube Audiobook LINK
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.
But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role.
Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?
Julia Reyes
Olga Reyes
Ama (mother) Amparo Montenegro Reyes
Apa (father) Rafael Reyes
Angie: Olga's BFF / Dona Ramona / Juanga: Angie's new BFF
Connor: Julia's boyfriend
Lorena: Julia's BFF / Carlos / Jose Luis / Ramiro
Mr. Ingman: Julia's English teacher
Jazmyn: Olga's friend
Tia Fermina: Ama's sister
Dr. Castillo: Olga's boss
Pasqual
Uncles/Aunties: Tio Bigotes / Paloma, Tio Cayetano, Tia Milagros, Tio Chucho, Tia Estela
Grandmother: Mama Jacinta
Cousins: Victor, Vanessa, Freddy/Alicia, Belen, Andres
Dr Scheinberg
Clinic: Dr Cooke, Tomas, Ashley, Erin, Tasha, Luis, Josh, Antwon
Secrets & Lies, Poverty, Immigrant Experience, Coming of Age, Intergenerational Trauma, Education as a Path to Opportunity, Grieving, Ambition
Coping with Grief and Loss by helpguide.org
How your brain copes with grief, and why it takes time to heal by NPR
How to Cope With Loss: Tips for Healthy Grieving by Everyday Health
7 Steps for Managing Grief and Loss by Mayo Clinic
Grieving and Stages of Grief by WebMD
Coping with Grief: Life after Loss by National Institute of Health
Bereavement and Grief by Mental Health America
How to Deal with Grief by Harvard Health Publishing
Discussion Questions
What are group identities and how do they describe me? Others?
What has happened throughout history to people like me?
How do I get to know others and allow others to get to know all of me?
What does it mean to feel good about myself and how can I express that I like who I am?
How can I be proud of who I am and celebrate others?
How do I benefit from my identities?
Do all people have the same rights?
What privileges do I have that others don’t?
How do I change because I’m part of different groups?
Just for fun: Word Search Puzzle, Word Search Puzzle
Draw a T-Chart on your paper with the following section headers. (see below) Now watch Author video interview.
Additional Resources
Importance of Family Structure in Hispanic Family https://www.livestrong.com/article/1005977-importance-family-structure-hispanic-families/
Living with a terminally ill child https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/advanced-cancer/caring-terminally-ill-child-guide-parents
Me Too Movement and How to Treat Women https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/23/men-show-solidarity-metoo-movement-advice
Mexican Culture: Customs and Lifestyle https://www.livescience.com/38647-mexican-culture.html
Quotes/Phrases
Quotes or phrases from the actual text - *make sure to give credit and/or cite where it comes from (author, speaker, page number, text, etc.)
Personal Thoughts/Questions
This is where you would write your personal thoughts or questions about the section of text you pulled out to examine.