APRIL 2021 - AudioFile
With her slow pace and serious tone, narrator Priya Ayyar brings reverence to this heartbreaking novel in verse, which takes place in 1983. Caught between Indian family traditions and her social life, the only Indian-American eighth grader at her school, Reha, struggles to find where she belongs. When her mother suddenly gets sick with leukemia, Reha's social concerns are replaced by her desperate wish to save her mother's life. Ayyar’s somber tone never changes, but listeners will empathize with Reha’s anxiety. While Ayyar gives Reha an American accent, she has no trouble pronouncing the Hindi words peppered throughout the audiobook. S.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Truly, one of the most heart-expanding stories ever, filled with kindness, music, mythology, all of those things. But above all, here is a story of love, and the ways in which it transcends nationalities, age, science, and fear. In LaRocca’s gifted hands, her Reha shows us how to live in the world, even when it feels divided, even then.” — Kathi Appelt, National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor-winning author of The Underneath and Keeper
"Red, White, and Whole is the lyrical and poignant journey of a first generation Indian American girl growing up in the eighties. LaRocca weaves together a beautiful mix of themes— identity, belonging, love, devastating loss, and eighties pop music rendered in seamless verse. A book I wish I had growing up in the eighties!" — Veera Hiranandani, Newbery Honor-winning author of The Night Diary
"This book is a marvel — at once so rich and so spare." — Ali Benjamin, National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Thing About Jellyfish and The Next Great Paulie Fink
"The seamless blend of ancient Indian folklore and modern western storytelling makes this winner a standout. Red, White, and Whole gets my vote." — Nikki Grimes, author of Ordinary Hazards and Garvey's Choice
"This deeply memorable coming-of-age story weaves Indian mythology with the relatable modern story of Reha, as she grapples with identity, family, and what it means to truly be home." — Joy McCullough, author of Blood Water Paint; A Field Guide to Getting Lost; and We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire
“I felt this novel in verse in my bones. An important book, it will change how young readers see their world. And that's the best kind of book to read at any age.” — Jane Yolen, author of The Devil's Arithmetic, Briar Rose, and Mapping the Bones
"This is a sweet, gentle story about love and loss, individualism and community, friendship and family, belonging and longing to live up to one's dreams. In Reha, LaRocca has created a relatable protagonist who feels caught between two cultures, but ultimately finds her own way." — Padma Venkatraman, award-winning author of The Bridge Home and A Time To Dance
"Infused with science, 80s music, and the struggles and joys of navigating middle school when you live in two different worlds, Red, White, and Whole is delightfully real and achingly beautiful. Reha’s story grabbed my heart from the first pages and never let go." — Kate Messner, author of Breakout and Chirp
“LaRocca’s historical novel in verse takes the reader through Reha’s past and present, flowing as seamlessly as many of the songs often referred to within the poems. Readers will be changed by her story.” — Booklist (starred review)
“LaRocca showcases the best of what verse can do, telling a story that is spare, direct and true, every word and idea placed with intentional care. A sensitive coming-of-age story with all the makings of a new middle grade classic.” — BookPage (starred review)
“An intimate novel that beautifully confronts grief and loss.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Brimming with warmth. An approachable account of negotiating identity and of struggling with loss.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga and Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton.” — School Library Journal
“This verse novel weaves together complex narrative strands with sophistication. Give this emotionally powerful novel to immigrant, third-culture kids or anyone experiencing grief and loss.” — Horn Book Magazine
Padma Venkatraman
"This is a sweet, gentle story about love and loss, individualism and community, friendship and family, belonging and longing to live up to one's dreams. In Reha, LaRocca has created a relatable protagonist who feels caught between two cultures, but ultimately finds her own way."
BookPage (starred review)
LaRocca showcases the best of what verse can do, telling a story that is spare, direct and true, every word and idea placed with intentional care. A sensitive coming-of-age story with all the makings of a new middle grade classic.
Joy McCullough
"This deeply memorable coming-of-age story weaves Indian mythology with the relatable modern story of Reha, as she grapples with identity, family, and what it means to truly be home."
Veera Hiranandani
"Red, White, and Whole is the lyrical and poignant journey of a first generation Indian American girl growing up in the eighties. LaRocca weaves together a beautiful mix of themes— identity, belonging, love, devastating loss, and eighties pop music rendered in seamless verse. A book I wish I had growing up in the eighties!"
Ali Benjamin
"This book is a marvel — at once so rich and so spare."
Kate Messner
"Infused with science, 80s music, and the struggles and joys of navigating middle school when you live in two different worlds, Red, White, and Whole is delightfully real and achingly beautiful. Reha’s story grabbed my heart from the first pages and never let go."
Kathi Appelt
Truly, one of the most heart-expanding stories ever, filled with kindness, music, mythology, all of those things. But above all, here is a story of love, and the ways in which it transcends nationalities, age, science, and fear. In LaRocca’s gifted hands, her Reha shows us how to live in the world, even when it feels divided, even then.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Brimming with warmth. An approachable account of negotiating identity and of struggling with loss.”
Booklist (starred review)
LaRocca’s historical novel in verse takes the reader through Reha’s past and present, flowing as seamlessly as many of the songs often referred to within the poems. Readers will be changed by her story.
Nikki Grimes
"The seamless blend of ancient Indian folklore and modern western storytelling makes this winner a standout. Red, White, and Whole gets my vote."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Brimming with warmth. An approachable account of negotiating identity and of struggling with loss.”
Horn Book Magazine
This verse novel weaves together complex narrative strands with sophistication. Give this emotionally powerful novel to immigrant, third-culture kids or anyone experiencing grief and loss.
Jane Yolen
I felt this novel in verse in my bones. An important book, it will change how young readers see their world. And that's the best kind of book to read at any age.
School Library Journal - Audio
07/01/2021
Gr 3–8—"I have two lives. / One that is Indian, / one that is not," 13-year-old Reha introduces herself. During the week, she "swim[s] in a river of white skin" at school; "on weekends / [she] "float[s] in a sea of brown skin and black hair and dark eyes." Her Indian immigrant parents seem to be at odds with her longing "to be like everyone else / to fit in." But then Reha's mother falls seriously ill, and the family must come together for an unimaginable future. With tragedy looming, Reha figures out how to unite her weekday and weekend selves and will herself whole. Priya Ayyar gently conveys Reha's burgeoning independence and her courageous resolve, enabling Indian American LaRocca's novel in verse to flow smoothly between two cultures, two worlds, and two identities as Reha finds her place as daughter, niece, and friend. VERDICT Although the narrative is set in 1983—making it historical fiction for most tween readers!—it's a timely, affecting #OwnVoices production that's suitable for all libraries.—Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC
School Library Journal
02/01/2021
Gr 5 Up—Indian American middle schooler Reha navigates growth and loss in this 1980s coming-of-age novel in verse. Thirteen-year-old Reha deals with ordinary concerns; she tries to stay true to her Indian culture while growing up with in the United States, and she grapples with a crush on a classmate. When her mother suddenly gets sick with leukemia, Reha's ordinary everyday concerns fade away and are replaced with the belief that if she is as virtuous as possible, she will save her mother's life. As the story goes on, Reha deals with her grief and builds a strong support network of friends and family to help her face her mother's illness. References to musicians such as Pat Benatar, the Beach Boys, and Cyndi Lauper firmly set this story in the 1980s, but the story otherwise feels modern. Reha's story is slow to start but quickly ramps up. Readers will be invested in her relationships with her parents and friends and will enjoy the evocative verse and emotional stakes. VERDICT A recommended purchase, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga and Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton.—Kelsey Socha, Westfield Athenaeum, Westfield, MA
Kirkus Reviews
2020-11-27
It’s 1983, and 13-year-old Indian American Reha feels caught between two worlds.
Monday through Friday, she goes to a school where she stands out for not being White but where she has a weekday best friend, Rachel, and does English projects with potential crush Pete. On the weekends, she’s with her other best friend, Sunita (Sunny for short), at gatherings hosted by her Indian community. Reha feels frustrated that her parents refuse to acknowledge her Americanness and insist on raising her with Indian values and habits. Then, on the night of the middle school dance, her mother is admitted to the hospital, and Reha’s world is split in two again: this time, between hospital and home. Suddenly she must learn not just how to be both Indian and American, but also how to live with her mother’s leukemia diagnosis. The sections dealing with Reha’s immigrant identity rely on oft-told themes about the overprotectiveness of immigrant parents and lack the nuance found in later pages. Reha’s story of her evolving relationships with her parents, however, feels layered and real, and the scenes in which Reha must grapple with the possible loss of a parent are beautifully and sensitively rendered. The sophistication of the text makes it a valuable and thought-provoking read even for those older than the protagonist.
An intimate novel that beautifully confronts grief and loss. (Verse novel. 11-15)
