Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna (On-Sale September 14) is a tale of one family’s perilous journey to cross the U.S. border during the Mexican Revolution that is every bit as relevant and heartbreaking today.
It is 1913. Petra Luna's mother has died, and her father has been dragged away by soldiers. She vowed to her father that she would care for the family - her grandmother, little sister, and baby brother. They flee north, through the harsh desert, attempting to find safe harbor. And each night, exhausted, Petra thinks about her dreams, especially her long-held desire to learn to read and write, something her abuelita calls barefoot dreams - which are ‘not meant to go far.’ Petra refuses to let go of that dream. And through war, hunger, and danger, she stops at nothing to keep her family safe.
★ “Dobbs’ wrenching debut, about family, loss, and finding the strength to carry on, illuminates the harsh realities of war, the heartbreaking disparities between the poor and the rich, and the racism faced by Petra and her family. Readers will love Petra, who is as strong as the black-coal rock she carries with her and as beautiful as the diamond hidden within it.”
—Booklist, STARRED review ★
“Petra Luna's incredible odyssey in pursuit of her 'barefoot dreams' is as vital and perilous and hopeful as that of today's dreamers, who still set off across the desert seeking a better life in America more than a hundred years later.”
—Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee
