Rise: The Island I Carried with Me

By Gretchen M. Cabranes

What if leaving everything behind isn't the end... but the beginning of finding yourself again?
This is not a book about leaving.
It is a book about rising.
About two Puerto Rican hearts boarding a plane with four suitcases, trembling hands, and a dream they could barely hold.
About the quiet tears in airport bathrooms, the English learned out of necessity, the homesickness that digs itself into your bones...
and the astonishing strength that appears when you decide you will not give up.
RENACER: The Island I Carried With Me is a true story of transformation-
of surviving and then belonging,
of losing yourself and then finding yourself,
of leaving your homeland... without ever letting it go.
This is an invitation for you, the one starting again.
For you, packing with shaking hands.
For you, who doubts, who hopes, who aches, who wonders if you'll make it.
This book whispers-firmly and lovingly-"yes, you will."
You are enough.
Your light travels with you.
Your roots don't disappear: they multiply.
You are not starting from zero.
You are starting from your history, your faith, your courage.
If you've ever felt that stepping into the unknown might break you,
open these pages.
Here you'll discover that sometimes, what looks like an ending...
is actually the most beautiful beginning.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GMP9F2BW
• ISBN13: 9798247601128
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"