About this item
Written by a gifted journalist, a powerful account of four young Mexican women coming of age in Denver - two of whom have legal documentation, two of whom who don't - and the challenges they face as they attempt to pursue the American dream. Just Like Ustakes readers on a compelling journey with four young Mexican-American women who have lived in the U.S. since childhood. Exploring not only the women's personal life stories, this book also delves deep into an American subculture and the complex and controversial politics that surround the issue of immigration.The story opens on the eve of the girls' senior prom in Denver, Colorado. All four of the girls have grown up in the United States, all four want to make it into college and succeed, but only two have immigration papers.
About the Author
Helen Thorpe is the author of Soldier Girls: The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War. Doris Kearns Goodwin said of this book: "With a novelist's perception of character, drama and telling detail, Helen Thorpe magically weaves together the stories of three very different but equally compelling women soldiers. Taken together, their stories provide an intimate window on life in the military, the impact of war and the difficult transition to home. This is an absolutely terrific and important work." And O Magazine wrote: "Parenthood and roadside bombs, young love and PTSD - finally, a nuanced look at the lives of female soldiers that is as intimate as it is groundbreaking."
Previously, Helen Thorpe has written magazine stories for the New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker, Texas Monthly, Westword, and 5280. She lives in Denver, Colorado. Her first book, Just Like Us, was published by Scribner in 2009. It was named one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts adapted the book for the stage in 2013. Soldier Girls was published by Scribner in August 2014.
Author Photograph by Marea Evans.
