Everything Within and In Between

Color Me In meets I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican

Daughter in Everything Within and In Between, a deeply honest

coming-of-age story about reclaiming a heritage buried under assimilation, the

bonds within families, and defining who you are for yourself.

For Ri Fernández’s entire life, she’s been told, “We live in

America and we speak English.” Raised by her strict Mexican grandma, Ri has

never been allowed to learn Spanish.

What’s more, her grandma has pulled Ri away

from the community where they once belonged. In its place, Ri has grown up

trying to fit in among her best friend’s world of mansions and country clubs in

an attempt try to live out her grandmother’s version of the “American Dream.”

In her heart, Ri has always believed that her mother, who

disappeared when Ri was young, would accept her exactly how she is and not try

to turn her into someone she’s never wanted to be. So when Ri finds a long-hidden

letter from her mom begging for a visit, she decides to reclaim what Grandma

kept from her: her heritage and her mom.

But nothing goes as planned. Her mom

isn’t who Ri imagined she would be and finding her doesn’t make Ri’s struggle to

navigate the interweaving threads of her mixed heritage any less complicated.

Nobody has any idea of who Ri really is—not even Ri herself.

Everything Within and In Between is a powerful new

young adult novel about one young woman’s journey to rediscover her roots and

redefine herself from acclaimed author Nikki Barthelmess.