Search results for ""Author Laekan Zea Kemp""

Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pasteleria next to her father's restaurant, Nacho's Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans-leaving Pen to choose between disappointing her traditional Mexican American parents or following her own path. When she confesses a secret she's been keeping, her world is sent into a tailspin. But then she meets a cute new hire at Nacho's who sees through her hard exterior and asks the questions she's been too afraid to ask herself.Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho's is an opportunity for just that-a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo's, and to find the father who left him behind. But when both the restaurant and Xander's immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself.Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong in order to save the place they all call home.This stunning and poignant novel from debut author Laekan Zea Kemp explores identity, found families and the power of food, all nestled within a courageous and intensely loyal Chicanx community.

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This gorgeous and lyrical dual POV novel-in-verse, from award-winning author Laekan Zea Kemp, explores love, healing, and self-acceptance-perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Candice Iloh, and Nicola Yoon.When Danna Mendoza Villarreal's grandfather's memory loss takes a downward spiral, she comes up with a plan to make Marcelino remember: she's going to make sure he eats all of the dishes he once reviewed. She and her cousin Victoria are going to help him remember through taste, through eating...even though Danna's love of food is the very thing her mother always seems to have a problem with.Raul Santos and his uncle Mario play music for the elderly, helping people who can no longer remember via music therapy. But playing the guitar is also the only therapy Raul knows...he has been under water ever since his mother was wrongly incarcerated. For the past two years, he's been holding his breath, waiting for her to come back. And when she does, what is he supposed to do when she isn't the same person who left?When Danna and Raul meet, sparks fly immediately and they embark on a mission to heal Marcelino...and themselves. Because healing is something best done together-even if healing doesn't always look the way we want it to.

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