The Golden Door (Paperback)

After living with her family in Alabama for 15 years as an illegal immigrant, a high school graduate suddenly faces an uncertain future when the state passes an immigration law that will make it a crime for her parents to work and will prohibit her from attending a public university. Maya Méndez, who has lived with her family in Alabama for fifteen years as an illegal immigrant, suddenly faces an uncertain future when the state passes an immigration law that will make it a crime for her parents to work and will prohibit her from attending a public university. Maya has recently graduated from high school, and in two months she plans to start at the University of Alabama, which recruited her for the women's soccer team before the law was passed. Since the law doesn't become effective until after the fall semester begins, and since it might be stopped by challenges, Maya goes to Tuscaloosa in early August to join the soccer team for practice. Meanwhile, she finds herself in the middle of a conflict between her parents since her father still wants to pursue his dream of living in America and her mother wants to go back to Mexico. As the months pass and the law moves through the court system, Maya becomes a key player on a soccer team that has its most successful season in years, but the spirit of the law eventually catches up with her family, and out of its tragic consequences she struggles to find a mission in life.