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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Secret Side of Empty by Maria E. Andreu 330 pages

This is a YA novel.  M. T. goes to a private girls school.  She has perfect grades, loyal friends and a budding romance.  So what could possibly be wrong?  She is illegal.  Although she is light skinned, she is Argentinian.  Her father cannot find a good job so he has 2 jobs waiting tables.  Her mother speaks little English and cannot work.  They have her in private school because she did not have the proper paperwork to get into public school and the nuns decided to look the other way so M. T. could get an education.  That is all well and good, until senior year.  Her friends are getting their drivers licenses, not M. T.  Her friends are looking at colleges, not M. T. Add to that the fact that they are dirt poor and her father beats her, it is no wonder M. T. becomes depressed.  Her grades slide, and she just wants to crawl under the covers and not come out.  Finally, she can take it no more and when she finally fears her father enough, she seeks the help she needs. 
A very thought provoking novel.  Especially since the author had first hand knowledge of what it means to be undocumented.

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