Rosa by Any Other Name

Written by Hailey Alcaraz

*Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

*Language: English

*Print length: 416 pages

*ISBN-10: 0593525574

*ISBN-13: 978-0593525579

*Reading age: 14 - 17 years

*Grade level: 9 - 12

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.

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.

Review

"Alcaraz has created a story that aims to show BIPOC readers how imposter syndrome has been a long-standing struggle for people of color to overcome. A great read for budding young activists interested in a realistic perspective of the Great Migration and Jim Crow era." —Booklist, starred review

"Readers will be drawn into this compelling story and root for heartbroken Rosa as she struggles to find the courage to tell the truth. Deeply moving and beautifully written." —Kirkus Reviews

"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." —Publishers Weekly

Hailey Alcaraz enjoys writing stories about multicultural Latinx characters, girls who choose a difficult path when it comes to love, and the clumsy journey of “finding yourself” as a young adult. She is a second-generation Mexican American woman, a middle school English teacher for mostly Hispanic students in South Phoenix, and a lover of powerful female protagonists. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with her husband, daughters, and German shepherd, Lemon. You can visit her online at HaileyAlcaraz.com and follow her on social media @AlcarazBooks.