Julieta and the Romeos

YA romance 

     "I guess I thought that if I picked up some of the slack, did as much as I could to pull the restaurant along, plus also built some brilliant, solid future for myself, the pressure would go away and they'd be back to how they used to be.  The last couple of years have just felt like one long crisis, you know."

     Julieta's family life is centered around their Argentinian restaurant, Las Heras.  She works part time there.  Her younger siblings do their homework there.  In fact the kids' heights are tracked on a wall there instead of in their house.

     Las Heras managed to survive the pandemic.  But now their customer flow has greatly slowed down.  A new Argentinian restaurant is taking a lot of their business.  With income down Julieta notices that her parents are struggling to keep their sole source of income open.  She sees the toll this stress is taking on their marriage.  Although she loves ❤️ them both she sometimes wonders if they made the best possible partner choices.

     Although Julieta wants desperately to see her family's restaurant stay open she doesn't see her future in it.  

     "Whenever I picture my life as a grown-up, I'm writing ✍️ in cafés and sumptuous libraries and on luxurious overnight trains in exotic locations.  I'm giving readings 📚 in elegant lecture halls and signing copies of my best-selling novels to a line of readers that is so long I can't see the end of it."

     The summer ☀️ before her senior year of high school Julieta is taking a writing class from a famous author.  She and her classmates are told to putting their writing out there.  She begins putting a story, chapter by chapter on StoriedZone.  Much to her surprise she gets a collaboration request from someone signing as HappilyEverDrafter.  As they work together but apart she becomes obsessed with learning his identity, especially when she learns that he's someone she's known a long time ⌛️ in real life.  She's sure he has to be one of three people:  Lucas who has grown up alongside her in Las Heras; Calvin, her grandmother's new neighbor; or Ryan, her best friend's formerly obnoxious twin brother who is suddenly looking more interesting.

     Zoe is sure that when she learns her collaborator's identity she will have found not only her soul mate, but the person who will bring out the best version of herself.  

     In Julieta and the Romeos Maria E. Andreu delivers a complex narrative of a teen on the verge of a major life transition trying not to let down her loved ones while searching for the way to become her best and most authentic self.

On a purrrsonal note, I had an amazing day Thursday.  It was the last day of Upward Bound summer ☀️ session.  I came in to pack up the swap shop and say goodbye to the students.  I was deeply touched by how many were telling me how they wanted more of my workshops.  I said I can volunteer 🙋‍♀️ next year.  Even if I have my professional job it will be a day one.  It filled my heart ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 💗 with joy 😊 😃 😄 ☺️ that they got something out of what I had to offer.  That evening I went to the pot luck supper 🍽 😋 at the Wilson Center.  The food was scrumptious.  I got to chill with friends.  And I got to be in the space where I was married July 29, 1989.  (Jules)

The family who would adopt me.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to this year's Upward Bound summer session students with best wishes for their upcoming school year!

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone