Rajani LaRocca

Praise for Red, White, and Whole
This was such a beautifully written and heartbreaking story. For kids experiencing or who have experienced a parent who has suffered from cancer, or ever felt torn between two places. A novel of family, friendship, and grief. Set in the 1980’s which is a perfect time to set a story like this one.

Praise for Red, White, and Whole
The list you could write of all the ways this book beautifully addresses a young girl who is trapped between being from a country she no longer lives in and living in a country she doesn’t quite feel she belongs may almost end up longer than this book. The layers of metaphor, stories, and a young girl you cannot help but love and cheer for; this book is something special.

Praise for Red, White, and Whole
Truly, one of the most heart-expanding stories ever, filled with kindness, music, mythology, all of those things. But above all, here is a story of love, and the ways in which it transcends nationalities, age, science, and fear. In LaRocca’s gifted hands, her Reha shows us how to live in the world, even when it feels divided, even then.

Praise for Red, White, and Whole
This deeply memorable coming-of-age story weaves Indian mythology with the relatable modern story of Reha, as she grapples with identity, family, and what it means to truly be home.​

Praise for Red, White, and Whole
Rajani LaRocca’s RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE explores the difficulties and joys experienced by immigrants through the eyes of Reha. Reha is of two worlds, her parents are from India but she was born in the US, and she often finds herself torn between the two. She has two best friends, one she sees during the week at school and one she sees on weekends when she spends time with other Indian families, and feels like she lives two different lives. When her mother gets a scary medical diagnosis Reha decid… Read more

Praise for Red, White, and Whole
Readers will be invested in Reha’s relationships with her parents and friends and will enjoy the evocative verse and emotional stakes. Perfect for fans of Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga and Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton.

Praise for Red, White, and Whole
This book is a marvel — at once so rich and so spare. A coming of age story, a family story, a story of America, of science, of friendship, of courage, of culture, of aspiration.

Praise for Red, White, and Whole
Red, White, and Whole is the lyrical and poignant journey of a first generation Indian American girl growing up in the eighties. LaRocca weaves together a beautiful mix of themes– identity, belonging, love, devastating loss, and eighties pop music rendered in seamless verse. A book I wish I had growing up in the eighties!