Where I Belong, Marcia Argueta Mickelson
Where I Belong, Marcia Argueta Mickelson
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Where I Belong

Author: Marcia Argueta Mickelson

Narrator: Stacy Gonzalez

Unabridged: 7 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 09/28/2021


Synopsis

An immigrant teen fights for her family, her future, and the place she calls home.

In the spring of 2018, Guatemalan American high school senior Milagros "Millie" Vargas knows her life is about to change. She's lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, ever since her parents sought asylum there when she was a baby. Now a citizen, Millie devotes herself to school and caring for her younger siblings while her mom works as a housekeeper for the wealthy Wheeler family. With college on the horizon, Millie is torn between attending her dream school and staying close to home, where she knows she's needed. She's disturbed by what's happening to asylum-seekers at the US-Mexico border, but she doesn't see herself as an activist or a change-maker. She's just trying to take care of her own family.

Then Mr. Wheeler, a US Senate candidate, mentions Millie's achievements in a campaign speech about "deserving" immigrants. It doesn't take long for people to identify Millie's family and place them at the center of a statewide immigration debate. Faced with journalists, trolls, anonymous threats, and the Wheelers' good intentions—especially those of Mr. Wheeler's son, Charlie—Millie must confront the complexity of her past, the uncertainty of her future, and her place in the country that she believed was home.

About Marcia Argueta Mickelson

Marcia Mickelson was born in Guatemala and immigrated to the United States as an infant. She attended high school in New Jersey and then graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in American Studies. She is the author of five novels, including Star Shining Brightly, The Huaca, and Where I Belong. She lives in Texas with her husband and three sons.


Reviews

Goodreads review by David on June 02, 2022

Not only is the story of Millie Vargas—an immigrant teen from Guatemala thrust unexpectedly into the limelight of US socio-political debate—timely and poignant, but also authentic to both the Latina and teen experience. Like many teens, Millie isn’t looking to change the world, just to get by unnoti......more

Goodreads review by Abigail on May 07, 2021

I really enjoyed the book. You couldn’t help but love the characters the author wrote. She made sure they had their perfections and flaws that make them human, and overall relatable. I felt that the message the book gave was not only about sacrifices for family but having courage in times of need.......more

Goodreads review by Marieke on June 01, 2021

Me, when a story can’t hold my attention: sighing, skimming pages, trying to focus again, starting another story, skipping pages so I’m progressing faster, sighing again. I told myself to DNF more books but what if I start to like a book after 20%? It happens! Or after 30%? Or 40%? So, I try to DNF......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on November 22, 2021

Where I Belong by Marcia Argueta Mickelson Pub Date 07 Sep 2021 Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Lab ® Multicultural Interest | OwnVoices | Teens & YA I am reviewing a copy of Where I Belong through Lerner Publishing Group and Netgalley: It’s the spring of 2018, Guatemalan American high school senio......more

Goodreads review by Erica on January 23, 2022

This is an important book right here. Millie (Milagros) and her family immigrated to the US from Guatemala when she was an infant. Along with a story about family hardships, high school crushes, and typical coming of age plot points, Mickelson gives us an authentic story about immigration, financial......more