Brighter Than the Sun

Daniel Aleman's 'Brighter Than the Sun' is a timely and thought-provoking young adult novel about Sol, a sixteen-year-old girl living in Tijuana, Mexico, who crosses the border daily to attend school in the United States. Driven by her dream of being the first in her family to go to college, Sol faces immense pressure when her family's restaurant struggles. She takes a part-time job in San Diego, necessitating a move away from her family to live with her best friend. The story delves into Sol's internal world as she grapples with loneliness, the weight of family expectations, and the dawning realization that she might be relieved to escape her difficult home life and may not want to return. This book is ideal for ages 12-18, offering a nuanced exploration of cultural identity, economic hardship, and the complex journey of growing up between two worlds.

This timely and thought-provoking 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. Every morning, sixteen-year-old Sol wakes up at the break of dawn in her hometown of Tijuana, Mexico and makes the trip across the border to go to school in the United States. Though the commute is exhausting, this is the best way to achieve her dream: becoming the first person in her family to go to college. When her family's restaurant starts struggling, Sol must find a part-time job in San Diego to help her dad put food on the table and pay the bills. But her complicated school and work schedules on the US side of the border mean moving in with her best friend and leaving her family behind. With her life divided by an international border, Sol must come to terms with the loneliness she hides, the pressure she feels to succeed for her family, and the fact that the future she once dreamt of is starting to seem unattainable. Mostly, she'll have to grapple with a secret she's kept even from herself: that maybe she's relieved to have escaped her difficult home life, and a part of her may never want to return.