First Gen A Memoir
First Gen A Memoir by Alejandra Campoverdi, published by Grand Central Publishing in August 2024, spans 320 pages and is presented in English. This memoir offers an unflinching look at the complexities of social mobility through the lens of a first-generation Latina. Campoverdi shares her diverse life experiences, from growing up in Los Angeles with an immigrant single mother to her roles as a White House aide and a congressional candidate, providing insight into the emotional toll of being a trailblazer.
Readers will find a candid exploration of identity, aspiration, and belonging as Campoverdi retraces her journey. The narrative delves into the challenges faced by individuals who are often labeled as “First and Only,” highlighting the contradictions and sacrifices inherent in pursuing the American Dream. This edition presents a powerful testimony that seeks to reclaim the parts of oneself that are often overlooked in the quest for success, making it a significant contribution to discussions on cultural identity and social issues.
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*2X NATIONAL BESTSELLER*
Winner of the Martin Cruz Smith Award (CALIBA)
Winner of the Dolores Huerta Award (International Latino Book Awards)
2024 Council for Opportunity in Education National Book Club Selection
Longlisted for the Outstanding Works of Literature (OWL) Award for First Year Experience
An unflinching memoir and “invaluable resource” (Kirkus) about navigating social mobility as a first gen Latina–offering both a riveting personal story and an examination of the unacknowledged emotional tolls of being a trailblazer.
Alejandra Campoverdi has been a child on welfare, a White House aide to President Obama, a Harvard graduate, a gang member’s girlfriend, and a candidate for U.S. Congress. She’s ridden on Air Force One and in G-rides. She’s been featured in Maxim magazine and had a double mastectomy. Living a life of contradictory extremes often comes with the territory when you’re a “First and Only.” It also comes at a price.
With candor and heart, Alejandra retraces her trajectory as a Mexican American woman raised by an immigrant single mother in Los Angeles. Foregoing the tidy bullet points of her resume and instead shining a light on the spaces between them, what emerges is a powerful testimony that shatters the one-dimensional glossy narrative we are often sold of what it takes to achieve the American Dream. In this timely and revealing reflection, Alejandra draws from her own experiences to name and frame the challenges First and Onlys often face, illuminating a road to truth, healing, and change in the process.
Part memoir, part manifesto, FIRST GEN is a story of generational inheritance, aspiration, and the true meaning of belonging–a gripping journey to “reclaim the parts of ourselves we sacrificed in order to survive.”
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