Brighter Than the Sun

In this thoughtful and timely second novel, Daniel Aleman addresses immigration and physical and emotional borders through the story of a girl who crosses into the US for school and work, but finds it difficult to return to the ones she loves in Mexico.

Every morning, sixteen-year-old Sol wakes up at the break of dawn in her hometown of Tijuana and makes the trip across the border to go to school in California. Though the commute is exhausting, and her odd schedule makes having a social life nearly impossible, it's the only way to achieve her dream-a life where she is successful, able to help support her family, and where maybe she won't feel so lonely.

But with the family restaurant struggling after the death of her mother, Sol must add yet another thing to her plate-a part-time job in San Diego. Sol's complicated work schedule means moving in with her best friend and leaving her family behind-at least until the weekends But the job leaves her almost too drained for school, her little brother is struggling without her, and the bills are piling up. With so much responsibility on her shoulders, her once simple dreams seem impossible.

With her life divided by an international border and her family relying on her, Sol must come to terms with the loneliness she hides, the pressure she feels as the only American-born citizen in her family, and who and where she wants to be.

This timely and thoughtful story about a teen girl shouldering impossibly large responsibilities and ultimately learning that she doesn't have to do it alone is the perfect follow-up to Daniel Aleman's award-winning debut novel, Indivisible.