Inspired

2021 in Oakland, California.

On a quiet block halfway up the hill, neighbors still live in an altered reality as the pandemic persists through its second year.

In the third book in the Sheltered pandemic trilogy, Carlos, the gifted first grandson in the extended Gomez family, considers a path that may disappoint them. Rachel, the only child of a single mother, discovers something surprising about her roots, even as she is finding a new sense of purpose in her life. All around them, neighbors and family are faced with dilemmas small and large, personal and global, that cause them to re-think their futures. As they find their footing in a pandemic-changed world, the one thing they can all count on is the support of their community.

Will Miguel finish high school and fulfill his college dreams? Will Hila get her family out of Afghanistan before the US withdrawal? When will the Nguyen family get re-settled in their newly rebuilt home after the fire that destroyed their old one? Will Mateo, a Dreamer, be able to become a citizen, or will he be deported to a country he's never known? Every house on the block has a story, and they intertwine as neighbors lift each other up.