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Efren Divided

Page 16

by Ernesto Cisneros


  Thank you all for being soper.

  This book exists because of you.

  However, my thank-yous don’t end there. None of this would be possible without my amazing and talented agent, Deborah Warren of East West Literary, for seeing my potential and believing in me even when no one else did—including myself. You have my eternal gratitude.

  Special thanks to my editors, Rosemary Brosnan and Jessica MacLeish. I thank you both for helping to shape my book into the novel of my dreams. I cannot imagine having gotten through this experience without the two of you by my side.

  To the entire HarperCollins family, especially the amazing copy editing team: Nicole Moreno, Rita Pérez, Gweneth Morton, Alexandra Rakaczki. I thank you all for making each and every page shine.

  Thank you to Jay Bendt for coming up with such a brilliant book cover. It is everything I could have wished for—and more.

  I’d also like to thank Denise Deegan and Susan L. Lipson for all of your invaluable feedback during the manuscript’s earliest stages.

  And where would I be without the most incredible critique group in the world, the Tightens. Jesper Widén, Beverly Plass, Alan Williams, Sonja Wilbert, and Heather Inch-Desuta . . . I thank you for taking me under your wings and for always being there for me.

  A special shout-out to Mary Carey, Sandra Rubio, and Juana María Cordova Ornelas for all of your support and encouragement over the years—and for looking over all those bad, early drafts.

  Lastly, I would like to take a moment to thank all of my students (both past and present) for their continuous support. It has been an honor teaching (and learning from) you throughout my career. There is a bit of each and every one of you in all that I write.

  About the Author

  Photo by Andre Martinez

  ERNESTO CISNEROS was born and raised in Santa Ana, California, where he still teaches. He holds an English degree from the University of California, Irvine; a teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach; as well as a master of fine arts in creative writing from National University. As an author, he believes in providing today’s youth with an honest depiction of characters with whom they can identify. The real world is filled with amazing people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. His work strives to reflect that. Efrén Divided is his first book. You can visit him online at www.ernestocisneros.com.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  Advance Praise for Efrén Divided

  “The beautiful and gripping novel sheds light on the horrific consequences of separating families. It will reshape discussions about immigration and change hearts for the better. This debut announces an important new writer on the scene.”

  —Fred Aceves, author of The Closest I’ve Come and The New David Espinoza

  “A stunning, masterful, and timely debut. Cisneros balances both the despair of a family torn apart by US immigration policies and the loving determination of a boy to bridge the divide.”

  —David Bowles, author of They Call Me Güero and coauthor of The Chupacabras of the Río Grande

  “A moving portrayal of the shame, fear, and uncertainty of a family ripped apart.”

  —Aimée Medina Carr, author of River of Love

  “Cisneros handles the timely subject matter with heart, depth, and authenticity, leaving readers like me hopeful and determined to make this world a better place for all children.”

  —Angela Cervantes, author of Gaby, Lost and Found and Lety Out Loud

  “Ernesto Cisneros has captured the richness, beauty, and love of working-class Mexican immigrant families in his much-needed debut. Efrén Divided can be counted among those books that will inspire young people to action, activism, and change in their communities.”

  —e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, author of Fat Angie

  “This book is a call to not take the world as it is, but to fight for the world as it should be.”

  —Adrianna Cuevas, author of The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez

  “Authentically written and filled with the heart and warmth of friendship, family, and home, Efrén Divided feels more than important—it feels essential as we continue to weave diverse narratives into the cloth of the country we call home.”

  —Guadalupe García McCall, author of Under the Mesquite

  “Efrén Divided will find its way straight into your heart, even as it is breaking.”

  —Matt Mendez, author of Barely Missing Everything and Twitching Heart

  “There are so many children living in the US just like Efrén. These are the children of immigrants—navigating borders, languages, and systems imposed on them and their families. Efrén Divided is a song sung for them. A corrido in their honor. In his debut, Cisneros says to them, to these families, these children separated and often afraid, we see you, we hear you, but most importantly, there’s hope.”

  —Isabel Quintero, author of Gabi, a Girl in Pieces and My Papi Has a Motorcycle

  “This book is a lamp illuminating where we fail and where we can succeed and overcome, a torch of protest against injustice, and a golden door into crucial conversations we need to have in our classrooms about equity and human rights.”

  —NoNieqa Ramos, author of The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary and The Truth Is

  “Readers will connect to Efrén, rooting for him as he finds hope in the most unlikely of places and people. A soaring tale of resilience.”

  —Lilliam Rivera, author of Dealing in Dreams and The Education of Margot Sanchez

  “During these cruel anti-migrant times, Efrén Divided is a necessary book that is at once joyous, heartbreaking, and hopeful.”

  —Aida Salazar, author of The Moon Within and The Land of the Cranes

  “Authentically told, and interwoven with hope, strength, and beauty, Efrén Divided is true to life and all too timely. A must-read for anyone with a heart. This book is a gift to the world.”

  —Sarah Scheerger, author of Operation Frog Effect

  Copyright

  “The Sneetches,” TM & copyright © by Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. 1953, 1954, 1961, renewed 1989.; from THE SNEETCHES AND OTHER STORIES by Dr. Seuss. Used by permission of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

  EFRÉN DIVIDED. Copyright © 2020 by Ernesto Cisneros. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  www.harpercollinschildrens.com

  Cover art © 2020 by Jay Bendt

  Cover design by David DeWitt

  * * *

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Cisneros, Ernesto, author.

  Title: Efrén divided : a novel / by Ernesto Cisneros.

  Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Harper, 2020. | Audience: Ages 3–7 | Audience: Grades 4–6 | Summary: While his father works two jobs, seventh-grader Efrén Nava must take care of his twin siblings, kindergartners Max and Mía, after their mother is deported to Mexico. Includes glossary of Spanish words

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019027332 | ISBN 9780062881687 (hardcover)

  Subjects: CYAC: Deportation—Fiction. | Illegal aliens—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction. | Brothers and sisters—Fiction. | Twins—Fiction. | Mexican Americans—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.1.C568 Efr 2020 | DDC [Fic]—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019027332

  * * *

  Digital Edition MARCH 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-288170-0

  Print ISBN: 978-0-06-288168-7

  1920212223PC/LSCH10987654321
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  FIRST EDITION

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