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A review by mpr2000
The Other Half of Happy by Rebecca Balcárcel
5.0
I don’t usually read books for young children, but the plot of The Other Half of Happy intrigued me, let’s be honest, I couldn’t put it down!
Quijana is half Guatemalan and half American, but she feels American, she has lived all her life in America, doesn’t speak Spanish and has never been to Guatemala. So, when her parents decide to travel to Guatemala to visit her family, she doesn’t want to go, she’s scared to be ignored and underestimated by this part of the family that she never met. It doesn’t help that at the new school the Spanish community bully her, it seems that no one can accept that even if her father is from Guatemala she doesn’t speak Spanish at all! She will meet two new friends that will help her in the worst situations, because sometimes with a good friend on your side you can save the world, don’t you think?
I was really touched by this story, we are living in Ireland but we are from Catalonia, my son doesn’t speak at all Spanish and people in Spain see it with bad eyes, so I can understand Quijana emotions and feelings. She is American, so why having a dark hair and brown skin means that you are different?
I was surprised with all the varieties of themes that this book touches; love, friendship, illness, family… I think this is not only a book to read the young ones of the family but to read with the parents and their children. It is a book that makes you want to talk to them, explain a little bit how the world it is and that there are problems that are better shared than keept locked.
This is a beautiful story that will be in my heart forever, no matter what language do you speak, you’ll love “The Other Half Of Happy” I am sure!
Quijana is half Guatemalan and half American, but she feels American, she has lived all her life in America, doesn’t speak Spanish and has never been to Guatemala. So, when her parents decide to travel to Guatemala to visit her family, she doesn’t want to go, she’s scared to be ignored and underestimated by this part of the family that she never met. It doesn’t help that at the new school the Spanish community bully her, it seems that no one can accept that even if her father is from Guatemala she doesn’t speak Spanish at all! She will meet two new friends that will help her in the worst situations, because sometimes with a good friend on your side you can save the world, don’t you think?
I was really touched by this story, we are living in Ireland but we are from Catalonia, my son doesn’t speak at all Spanish and people in Spain see it with bad eyes, so I can understand Quijana emotions and feelings. She is American, so why having a dark hair and brown skin means that you are different?
I was surprised with all the varieties of themes that this book touches; love, friendship, illness, family… I think this is not only a book to read the young ones of the family but to read with the parents and their children. It is a book that makes you want to talk to them, explain a little bit how the world it is and that there are problems that are better shared than keept locked.
This is a beautiful story that will be in my heart forever, no matter what language do you speak, you’ll love “The Other Half Of Happy” I am sure!