Author Description

"Set in Chandler, Arizona, during the city's infamous 1997 migrant sweeps, Ocotillo Dreams delivers a wallop that resonates in today's volatile immigration debate. But this is no run-of-the-mill border-debate tale. In this captivating first novel, author Melinda Palacio skillfully weaves a story of politics, intrigue, love, and trust. Isola, a young woman who inherits her mother's Chandler home, relocates from California only to find that her mother had lived a secret life of helping undocumented immigrants and that one such immigrant apparently was involved with her. Isola must confront her own confusion and sense of loyalty in a strange and overtly hostile environment. As she gets to know her mother from clues left behind, she grapples with issues of identity and belonging that eventually lead her to explore her life's meaning and to reconnect with her roots."--Jacket.