Sassafras Julia is the black sheep of her family; self-absorbed, with big dreams of being a well-traveled, childless writer, she doesn’t understand why her parents crossed the border to be sated by poverty. The exact opposite of her older sister Olga, selfless, obedient and content to stay home until becoming a mother. Olga never questions their parents choices, honoring them by helping around the house, going to church on Saturday nights and contributing financially. When Olga, who serves as the diffuser of household contention, dies, it emphasizes the chasms between the remaining members of the Reyes family.
Julia, spotting a sobbing stranger at the funeral, rummages through her sister’s belongings only to discover Olga isn’t as perfect as she appeared. Making it her mission to find out what her sister was hiding, Julia ends up finding out a lot more about herself. The themes of this book include: classism, access to opportunity, family secrets, intergenerational and cross-cultural understanding, immigration, The American Dream, mental health and identity. Author Erika L. Sãnchez’s voice enthralls from page one. Delighted that America Ferrera will be directing this movie for Netflix. Worth the read. Will you be watching the movie, reading the book, or both? Via: Fiction Matters