Red, White, and Whole

Reha is a young girl torn between two worlds: her ancestral South Asian roots and her physical reality in the United States, where she struggles to fit in. She rebels against her ancestry and must navigate complex emotions and conflict between two cultural worlds while dealing with difficult issues such as cancer and death in her family. Reha must learn the meaning of her place in this life; her story brings themes of identity, conformity, and social awareness to light. In a Grade 5–9 classroom, this novel lends itself to a read-aloud and small-group or independent reading. Reha’s story may invite discussions about self, community, and society, inspiring personal reflections through creative writing assignments.