Jenni Rivera's last gift to her millions of fans finally has a release date - the Latin pop star's memoir, "Unbreakable," will hit stores in English and Spanish in July, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Rivera, who was killed in a December plane crash, had been working on the book for years, finishing the autobiography shortly before her death, said Paul Olsewski, spokesman for publisher Atria Books, Associated Press reported.
Rivera's memoir "will provide an intimate look into the heart and soul of this self-made woman, who ascended to the top of the charts against all odds, becoming a legend in a completely male-dominated music category," Atria Books said in a statement.
After dominating Latin charts for years, many saw Rivera as poised to break into the English-language market. Rivera sold 15 million records, according to Billboard. Following her untimely passing, Rivera's music experienced a renewed surge of life from her devoted fan base, with three of her records ascending to the No.1, 2, and 3 spots on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart, and the icon receiving 11 posthumous Latin Grammy nominations.
"Jenni overcame adversity after adversity, creating an ever deeper relationship with a public who loved her all the more for her heartfelt honesty, her relentless courage, and for showing them that they, too, could make it, because she was them," Atria Books announced. "It was the unique combination of her rare talent and an even rarer heart that made her one of the bestselling female recording artists of her generation, and someone who gave hope and a voice to women everywhere."
"Unbreakable" is the only book about Rivera made with the blessing of her family. The superstar's memoir arrives with the approval of one of Rivera's closest friends, her sister Rosie, whom she left to manage her estate.
Rivera's sister says the family still mourns for "La Diva de la Banda," but that reading what are essentially the singer's final words brings them comfort.
"I miss my sister every moment, but on days that I want to feel her close, I open her book written in her own words, and feel her right next to me," Rosie Rivera said in a statement issued by Atria.
Rosie says the family felt a duty to release Rivera's book because they wanted to give her fans a chance to "enjoy her as we have," according to the Associated Press.
Rivera, four of her staff, and two pilots died Dec. 9 when the small private Learjet carrying them plummeted from 28,000 feet and crashed into a mountainous area 9,000 feet above sea level, according to Mexico's transportation secretary. The jet was flying them from the northern Mexican city of Monterrey to the central city of Toluca.
According to CNN, the cause of the crash is under investigation. The accident report will not be ready for nine months to a year, the secretary of communications and transportation said.
"Rivera was well-established as a musical powerhouse with her Spanish-language performances of regional Mexican corridos, or ballads," noted USA Today at the time of her death. "For fans, the [Diva de la Banda] nickname captured her powerful voice and the personal strength many admired," said the newspaper.