Beatrice Kozera

Beatrice (Bea) Kozera (née Rentería; October 13, 1920 – August 15, 2013) was an American born woman, farm worker, and single mother. She was the inspiration for the character "Terry" (or "Terry, the Mexican girl") in Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel, On the Road. In fact, it was this story, "The Mexican Girl," that opened the doors for the publication of "On the Road." The book was later the subject of a 2012 film adaptation of the same name produced by Francis Ford Coppola in which she was marginally portrayed by Alice Braga. Until 2013, her life story was unknown until author Tim Z. Hernandez began to search for her in 2008 and discovered her alive in his hometown of Fresno, California in 2010. Together with Kozera and her family he wrote the book Mañana Means Heaven. It is the only account of Bea Kozera's story that was authorized by the family.^{[citation needed]}