LAMBDA AWARD-WINNER. Now in paperback. A tender and timely tale that explores the heartbreak and consequences of when both love and human beings are branded illegal. Seventeen-year-old Marisol and her little sister Gabi are detainees of the United States Government. Fleeing the gang that killed her older brother in El Salvador and consumed by her guilt over his death, Marisol will do anything to keep Gabi safe--including consenting to an experimental procedure. For the chance to stay in the United States, Marisol becomes a grief keeper, taking the grief of strangers into her body, relieving them of their pain as she lives through it. Although Marisol agrees to risk her own health and mental well-being, she never imagined that one of the risks would be falling in love. Her shared connection with a troubled but beautiful teenage girl erupts into a powerful love that just might be enough to save each of them from their crushing grief. Praise for The Grief Keeper : Summer 2019 Kids’ Indie Next List Pick Summer/Fall 2019 Indies Introduce Kids’ Debuts List Pick A 2020 Rainbow Book List Pick – Young Adult A 2020 Lambda Award Winner – Young Adult A 2022-2023 Land of Enchantment Book Award Nominee (NM) “ Hauntingly beautiful .” — School Library Journal “Villasante writes of first love with an authentic voice , beautifully capturing its nervousness, excitement, and awe. . . A story worth reading .” — Booklist “In her debut, Villasante captures the pressures of internalized racism in immigrants... Will grip readers and provoke empathy .” — Kirkus Reviews “Villasante’s novel is for the reader who wants to get down and dirty with the emotional landscape, who wants a romance that is hard-earned and sweetly won. The Grief Keeper...[creates] a realistic yet still hopeful world seen through the gaze of an intelligent, curious protagonist.” —Shelf Awareness “[An ] engrossing debut . . . Villasante builds her novel about undocumented immigrants into a suspenseful story with credible relationships, satisfying character development, and elements of science fiction.” — Publisher’s Weekly   “Villasante tackles some interesting issues, especially about power and privilege, in this sci-fi touched tale of contemporary realism. . . the compelling issues and main character will keep readers absorbed and give them plenty to discuss.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “With both timeless poignancy and heartbreaking relevance , The Grief Keeper is a stunning exploration of how we love, how pain lives in us, and how we survive. Alexandra Villasante’s gift for writing the deepest emotional truths resonates through every page.” — Anna-Marie McLemore , author of Wild Beauty and Blanca & Roja Alexandra Villasante has always loved telling stories--though not always with words. She has a BFA in Painting and an MA in Combined Media (that's art school speak for making work out of anything ). Born in New Jersey to immigrant parents, Alex has the privilegio of dreaming in both English and Spanish. When she's not writing, painting or chasing chickens around the yard, Alex plans conferences and fundraisers for non-profits. She lives with her family in the semi-wilds of Pennsylvania. You can find Alexandra on twitter and Instagram at @magpiewrites or on her website, alexandravillasante.com. Chapter 1   We believe in luck. The good kind and the cruel. The kind that graces and the kind that cripples. The kind that doesn’t care what you deserve.   My mother cleaned for a wealthy couple in Colonia Escalón, in the time before our bad luck. Mrs. Rosen liked my mother because she spoke English and because she would play mahjongg with her. After Mamá had scrubbed the toilet and the bidet the Rosens never used, she would make tea, and I would help Mrs. Rosen lay the clicking tiles facedown on the table.   I was allowed to watch them play, as long as I was quiet. After Mamá would inevitably lose, she would joke about La Mala Suerte that followed her through life.   “Oh, Maria, don’t give a kneina hura,” Mrs. Rosen would say. “Don’t call bad luck down on yourself.”   But that’s not how luck works. She comes when she comes, with an open hand or a fist. You never know which one.     “What does priceless mean?” My little sister leans close and whispers her words into my neck. She says the English word the way you would in Spanish, “prees-less.” Her accent is still terrible. I whisper back, voice almost a sigh, because we’re not supposed to talk in this room.   “It means without a price.”   Gabi narrows her eyes at me in annoyance. It is very odd to see my mother’s expression on my twelve-year-old sister’s face.   “I know that ,” Gabi says, exhaling like she’s talking to una tonta. “But what else does it mean?”   I dart a look at the closest metal doors. The two guards are talking. Not looking at us.   “ Priceless means it’s so valuable, you can’t pay for it. You can’t replace it. Eve