Becoming Beatriz

Beatriz dreams of a life spent dancinguntil tragedy on the day of her quinceaera changes everything.

Up until her fifteenth birthday, the most important thing in the world to Beatriz Mendez was her dream of becoming a professional dancer and getting herself and her family far from the gang life that defined their daysthat and meeting her dance idol Debbie Allen on the set of her favorite TV show,Fame. But after the latest battle in a constant turf war leaves her brother, Junito, dead and her mother grieving, Beatriz has a new set of priorities. How is she supposed to feel the rhythm when her brothers gang needs running, when her mami cant brush her own teeth, and when the last thing she can remember of her old self is dancing with her brother, followed by running and gunshots? When the class brainiac reminds Beatriz of her love of the dance floor, her banished dreams sneak back in. Now the only question is: will the gang let her go?

Set in New Jersey in 1984, Beatrizs story is a timeless one of a teenagers navigation of romance, her brothers choices, and her own familys difficult past