A School Library Journal Best Book of 2011

* "[A] riveting tale... by turns heartbreaking, infuriating and ultimately inspiring."
- Kirkus, STARRED

* "A poignant coming-of-age novel."
- School Library Journal, STARRED

* [A] compelling collaboration."
- Publishers Weekly, STARRED

* "A moving, lyrical novel."
- Booklist, STARRED

Co-written with María Virginia Farinango, this novel based on a true story begins in an impoverished Andean village where seven-year-old Virginia is taken from her indigenous family to be an unpaid servant. For the next eight years, she struggles to hold on to her spirit and humor in the face of oppression. But once she's found her freedom, will Virginia - now a teenager caught between cultures - also find a place where she belongs?

Read more about The Queen of Water here.