Reservations Required (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781558859159)

On the cusp of adulthood, a 17-year-old girl escapes her abusive home and discovers a refuge in a sleepy Arizona town. Two weeks have passed since Nana's funeral. Her absence still feels raw to Lucy Sanchez, a Mexican American girl who has inherited her grandmother's love for and knowledge of cooking. Home offers little solace. Lucy's mother is a ghost of her former self; her father, meanwhile, is a violent tyrant. When Lucy's brother, Mario, arrives home late one day, it sets their dad off in a rage, and Mario runs away from home. It doesn't take long for Lucy to fall victim to her father's ire, and she's soon plotting her own way out. After a brief spell with her aunt, Lucy decides to head to Los Angeles to enroll in culinary training. On the road, however, she spots a help wanted sign on the window of La Cocina, a small-town restaurant. Lucy ultimately finds what she needs there to start over away from the trauma of her past: a community of supportive (mostly Latinx) friends, an opportunity for love--and even a puppy.

Author: Estela Bernal
ISBN-10: 1558859152
ISBN-13: 9781558859159
Publisher: Pinata Books
Language: English
Published: 05/31/2021
Pages: 200
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 5.43h x 8.43w x 0.71d

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 05/15/2021