First Generation, by Meghana Karanjkar

Compelling and incisive, First Generation delves deeply into the meaning of being an outsider—whether as an immigrant, a foster child, or a person without a home. It seeks to understand the struggle of wanting to be accepted, whether in a new country, a new family, or a large, bustling metropolis.

As a first-generation immigrant moves to the US, she learns and unlearns behaviors so that she can not only survive but also prosper in her new country. When a young man is faced with the news of a debilitating illness, he must also come to terms with the changing nature of his relationship with his girlfriend. And in the middle of a hot, humid night in rural Pennsylvania, three young girls must quickly decide on what could be a turning point in their lives.

First Generation weaves a tapestry of lives—of what people face and what they must give up in order to become who they are.