Red, White, and Whole: A Newbery Honor Novel in Verse about an Indian American Girl Navigating Identity and Grief

by Rajani LaRocca

And know this: you belong. You belong to this country, where you are growing up. And you belong to India, where your blood is from. You belong to both, and they both belong to you.

I wrote this as adult me talking to myself as a child. I couldn't mean this more, and I hope it resonates with anyone going through this type of struggle.