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Dream Things True

A Novel

Marie Marquardt

Wednesday Books

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ISBN10: 1250135362
ISBN13: 9781250135360

Trade Paperback

352 Pages

$25.99

CA$35.25

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Evan and Alma have spent fifteen years living in the same town, connected in a dozen different ways but also living worlds apart—until the day he jumps into her dad's truck and slams on the brakes.

The nephew of a senator, Evan seems to have it all—except a functional family. Alma has lived in Georgia since she was two, surrounded by a large (sometimes smothering) Mexican family. They both want out of this town. His one-way ticket is soccer; hers is academic success.

When they fall in love, they fall hard, trying to ignore their differences. Then Immigration and Customs Enforcement begins raids in their town, and Alma knows that she needs to share her secret. But how will she tell her country-club boyfriend that she and almost everyone she's close to are undocumented immigrants?

What follows is a beautiful, nuanced exploration of the complications of immigration, young love, defying one's family, and facing a tangled bureaucracy that threatens to completely upend two young lives. This page-turning debut asks tough questions, reminding us that love is more powerful than fear.

Reviews

Praise for Dream Things True

“Marquardt knowledgably takes on the plight of undocumented families . . . readers seeking a star-crossed love story with a twist won't be disappointed”—Publishers Weekly

“Marquardt has a lot to teach . . . but never does it feel didactic. Instead, Marquardt envelops you into the story of this one family and this one young couple trying to beat the odds.”—Bustle

“Worthy examination of undocumented immigration in the American South through the lens of young love.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Marquardt provides a critical view of the stigmas and difficulties plaguing undocumented youth in U.S. schools without glossing over the legal realities of deportation and detainment. Readers will find the romantic aspects of Alma and Evan's relationship sweet and exciting.”—School Library Journal

“Marquardt has written a book with a hopeful, if not happy, ending, filled with stark details about life in the U.S. for undocumented families. Eye-opening and touching.”—Booklist

Reviews from Goodreads

BOOK EXCERPTS

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ONE

Machete Moments



If you grab a machete blade near the bottom, just above the handle, it won't cut through your skin. That's what Alma was thinking, riding in her dad's truck way too early in the morning on...

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Marie Marquardt on the story behind the title of DREAM THINGS TRUE

Marie Marquardt shares the inspiration behind the title of DREAM THINGS TRUE, her debut YA novel.

About the author

Marie Marquardt

MARIE MARQUARDT is a Scholar-in-Residence at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and author of The Radius of Us and Flight Season. She has published articles and co-authored two non-fiction books about Latin American immigration to the U.S. South. Marie is chair of El Refugio, a non-profit that serves detained immigrants and their families. She lives in a busy household in Decatur, Georgia with her spouse, four children, a dog, and a bearded dragon.

Kenzi Tainow