Rosa by Any Other Name
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
In this Romeo and Juliet-inspired retelling set during the civil rights era, a Mexican American girl is driven to join a movement for justice after her white classmate and best friend from the barrio are tragically murdered.
A Chicago Public Library's Best Books of the Year selection!
"Rosa by Any Other Name is a smart, engaging call-to-action complete with star-crossed lovers, tragedy, and hope where 'separate is not equal' and one voice in the crowd can make a difference."
—Krystal Marquis, New York Times bestselling author of The Davenports
Rosa Capistrano has been attending posh North Phoenix High School to boost her chances of a college education and a career in journalism, thanks to the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education verdict for desegregation. But though she’s legally allowed to be there, it’s still unsafe for Mexican Americans. That’s why she’s secretly passing as Rosie, a white girl. All she has to do to secure her future is make sure her Mexican home life and her white school experience never intersect.
However, Rosa’s two worlds collide when her best friend Ramon and classmate Julianne meet and find themselves entangled in a star-crossed romance. Rosa is terrified about what their relationship could mean for her and them . . . and her worst fears are soon realized in an unspeakable tragedy. Rosa is thrown into the center of a town-wide scandal and her true identity is put in the spotlight. With the help of Marco, Ramon's brooding and volatile brother whose passion ignites hers, Rosa must choose what is more important to her—protecting her fragile future, or risking everything to help her friends find justice.
Rosa by Any Other Name is a harrowingly beautiful coming-of-age tale that shines a light on an important and often overlooked facet of US history. An extensive author's note with research details and a further reading list are included.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1955 Phoenix, light-skinned Mexican American Rosa is starting her final year as a "two-faced imposter" at her all-white high school. There, she goes by Rosie and passes for white, hoping to better her chances of attending Arizona State College and becoming a writer. Outside of school, Rosa and her best friend, Ramón, live in South Phoenix, seemingly worlds apart from Rosa's classmate, Julianne, the idealistic daughter of the county sheriff. When Julianne and Ramón accidentally meet and promptly fall in love, Rosa immediately grasps the potential danger of the situation for Ramón, which unfolds more tragically than Rosa anticipated. Alcaraz (Up in Flames) initially focuses on the Romeo and Juliet scenario, but as Rosa confronts its aftermath, the narrative expands to explore her awakening to the growing activism in her Mexican community. Led into political engagement by Ramón's contemptuous older brother Marco, Rosa begins to understand the difference she can make for her people by fighting against injustice. Via sympathetic and fully three-dimensional Rosa's narration, Alcaraz effectively portrays the "not quite white experience" of Mexicans during the 1950s in a well-plotted story that includes unexpected romance for Rosa, too. A reading list and author's note conclude. Ages 14–up.
