The new YA novel Where I Belong follows Guatemalan American high school senior Millie Vargas as she struggles to balance her family’s needs with her own ambitions. Then Mr. Wheeler, a U.S. Senate candidate and her mother’s employer, mentions Millie’s achievements in a campaign speech about “deserving” immigrants. It doesn’t take long for people to identify Millie’s family and place them at the center of a statewide immigration debate. Millie must confront the complexity of her past, the uncertainty of her future, and her place in the country that she believed was home.

Read on to hear how author Marcia Argueta Mickelson started writing, which authors influence her work, and more! Don’t forget to download the FREE discussion guide.