Jennifer Miller is the author of four critically acclaimed books, Inheriting the Holy Land, The Year of the Gadfly, The Heart You Carry Home, and Mr. Nice Guy. She is a regular contributor to The New York Times and The Washington Post, and has written extensively on education, mental health, and, about disenfranchised communities, including military veterans, Native Americans, and the rural working class. She has taught undergraduates and graduate writing students at Columbia University and has been a thesis adviser at both the Columbia School of the Arts and the Journalism School. byjennifermiller.com
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection The evergreen challenges of making friends, dealing with homesickness, and managing heavy workloads are compounded by additional stressors, including impostor syndrome, pressure to make parents' sacrifices count, and the gulfs between their backgrounds and those of their more privileged--and occasionally oblivious--classmates . . . Family members' supportive and occasionally opposing viewpoints illustrate the complex ways that being a first-generation student affects the whole family . . . The book ends on a hopeful note, emphasizing the students' resilience. Many students will feel seen; others will find their eyes opened. --Kirkus Reviews A riveting ride through the first year of college that also manages to be an incisive examination of the class divide on college campuses and the myriad personal challenges first generation students must navigate before they open a single book. Briani, Conner, and Jacklynn will stay with you long after you finish reading. --New York Times-bestselling author Dashka Slater Three remarkable young people, one rollercoaster year--this is gripping real-life drama. --National Book Award finalist Steve Sheinkin