Meena and River have a lot in common: fathers forced to work away from
home to make ends meet, grandmothers who mean the world to them, and
faithful dogs. But Meena is an Indian immigrant girl living in New York
City's Chinatown, while River is a Kentucky coal miner's son. As Meena's
family studies for citizenship exams and River's town faces devastating
mountaintop removal, this unlikely pair become pen pals, sharing
thoughts and, as their camaraderie deepens, discovering common ground in
their disparate experiences. With honesty and humor, Meena and River
bridge the miles between them, creating a friendship that inspires
bravery and defeats cultural misconceptions. Narrated in two voices,
each voice distinctly articulated by a separate gifted author, this
chronicle of two lives powerfully conveys the great value of being and
having a friend and the joys of opening our lives to others who live
beneath the same sun.