The Tortilla Star by Abbey Carpenter

InThe Tortilla Star, Bette finds that love can come in different forms – one that unlike her professional work as an accountant, she doesn’t control, that isn’t orderly, and is highly unpredictable. Though she’s six inches taller and hasn’t gotten past Spanish 101, she relishes being drawn into a rich, passionate adventure with Marco, an undocumented immigrant. As a volunteer teaching English, she is introduced to a new culture which welcomes her into its folds of family, long-held customs, and fiestas, as well as poverty and racism. She experiences first-hand some of her students’ challenges in the U.S. and also shares their joys – a child’s first time in a swimming pool, the wonders of a county fair. On this journey with Marco and her other Mexican immigrant friends, she hopes desperately that her expanding sense of family will not dissolve as the government makes rules that destabilize their lives.