This coming-of-age saga is told through the eyes of Ricardo a young Spanish-Filipino as he voyages to America in 1916. He embarked on his journey thinking he was leaving behind war rampant disease unspeakable deaths and family secrets only to find a country on the cusp of race riots World War I and a global pandemic. He learns that each of these events has the power to define who he is and who he will become. To succeed he'll need to face memories of his past life of privilege grapple with his own culture and come to peace with the loss of his parents. He'll also need to confront his many attackers. His future depends on it.
In her ambitious debut novel Maria Alvarez Stroud explores a never-ending question: How welcoming is America to the immigrants who leave everything from their previous lives behind? Richly imagined and vividly rendered BRAVE CROSSING-A Journey In-Between offers a moving portrait of one man's search for home. This novel reminds us that historical fiction is not just a view into the past but in many ways a mirror to our present.
Maria Alvarez Stroud lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, Ritchey. This is her debut novel, although she has an extensive writing background within public broadcasting. An avid reader and lover of historical fiction, she also writes short stories and essays.
