Writing Between Worlds: Rebecca Balcárcel on Heritage, Identity, and Middle Grade Magic

What's Your Why?

“You can actually be whole only if you have both sides of yourself included in your identity.” Rebecca Balcárcel

In this episode of What's Your Why?, host Emy Digrappa sits down with Guatemalan Anglo-American author and poet Rebecca Balcárcel, acclaimed for The Other Half of Happy and Shine On, Luz Véliz!. Rebecca shares her inspiring journey from avid young reader to award-winning middle grade author, weaving in stories of family, identity, and the complexities of growing up bicultural.

From raising identical twins to discovering a half-sister in Guatemala, Rebecca opens up about the deep personal roots behind her fiction and the transformative power of writing for young readers. This episode is a heartfelt look at how authors find wholeness through storytelling and how cultural heritage shapes the stories we tell.

📚 Books by Rebecca Balcárcel

• The Other Half of Happy
  A middle-grade novel about Quijana, a biracial girl navigating her Guatemalan and American identities. The book has received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist and was recognized as a Pura Belpré Honor Book.
• Shine On, Luz Véliz!
  This novel follows Luz, a tech-savvy Latina whose life changes when she discovers a Guatemalan half-sister. The story delves into themes of family, identity, and cultural heritage.

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