SELENA GOMEZ

She was just a Texas girl with a Technicolor dream.

The latest in this series that focuses on prominent Latine individuals follows actor and pop star Selena Gomez, whose father, Ricardo Joel Gomez, is of Mexican descent and whose mother, Mandy Teefey, is of Italian heritage. Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, when her parents were 16; her mother worked multiple jobs after divorcing her father when Gomez was 5. Gomez knew at a young age that she wanted to pursue acting and landed a role on Barney & Friends, which opened the door to Disney and her big break on Wizards of Waverly Place. The show’s tremendous success made Gomez a star. She spread her wings, forming a pop rock band. However, the intensity of working in Hollywood took a toll. After struggles with lupus, a kidney transplant, depression, and anxiety, she took a hiatus from social media and later opened up about her problems to the public. Sidebars throughout offer context on everything from various kinds of film and TV roles to dialysis to the DREAM Act (Gomez produced a Netflix series on undocumented families). The tone is conversational and intimate and will likely entice even readers unfamiliar with Gomez’s work. The discussions of Gomez’s physical and mental illness are refreshingly frank and empathetic. Notes from Valenti and Hispanic Star (a nonprofit organization that collaborated with the publisher for this series) close out the book.

A story of passion and perseverance that will inspire the star’s fans and newcomers alike.