Water in May
Ismee Williams
Fifteen-year-old Mari Pujols believes that the baby she's carrying will finally mean she'll have a family member who will love her deeply and won't ever leave her - not like her mama, who took off when she was eight; or her papi, who's in jail; or her abuela, who wants as little to do with her as possible. But when doctors discover a potentially fatal heart defect in the fetus, Mari faces choices she never could have imagined. Surrounded by her loyal girl crew, her off-and-on boyfriend, and a dedicated doctor, Mari navigates a decision that could emotionally cripple the bravest of women. But both Mari and the broken-hearted baby inside her are fighters; and it doesn't take long to discover that this sick baby has the strength to heal an entire family. Inspired by true events, this gorgeous debut has been called "heartfelt, heartbreaking and - yes! - even a little heart-healing, too" by bestselling YA novelist Carolyn Mackler. "In a compelling debut novel, Ismee Williams introduces tough New York teenager Mari Pujols, who is hoping her unborn baby will be able to fill the gaps in her life left by her absent mother, gaol-bound father and bitter, put-upon grandmother." The School Librarian
Ismee Amiel Williams is a pediatric cardiologist at Columbia University Medical Center. Being the daughter of a Cuban immigrant, partially raised by her abuelos, helped her understand the many Maribels she met along the way. Broken Angel is her first novel.