From her first sidelong glance down the soccer field, Annabel Brown knows that Esteban Santiago is the boy for her. Annabel’s life has been one of comfortable privilege in the Hamptons, with her father, who owns a construction company, employing undocumented workers like Esteban. When Esteban and Annabel attempt to carve out their romance, they are immediately met with harsh prejudice from both of their families; Annabel’s father is angry she is dating a muchacho, and Esteban’s sister calls Annabel names like “flour face.” Unaffected by the prejudicial turmoil, the pair forges ahead with their starry-eyed romance, leaving notes in library books, meeting on dark beaches and trying with innocent naiveté to make a predestined romance work. With racial tensions and immigration issues looming large in their town, Annabel and Esteban’s relationship meets a realistic end. Touching on issues of bias from a number of angles, Kerr crafts an agile contemporary tale of interracial young love. A masterful story from a critically acclaimed author. (Fiction. YA)
