Esperanza lives in the perfect world until the death of her father which forces the family to leave this all behind. Her father was killed by bandits the day before her birthday. Her uncles act as if they are there to help however they merely want to marry her mama and have the riches. The custom is for other family members to assist during the mourning process. She has lived in Mexico in a very wealthy family until this tragedy struck. Her father was the owner of own of the largest farms in the area. She has never wanted for anything. However with the turn of events the remaining family members must escape into the United States where they become laborers merely trying to survive. Esperanza is faced with hardships and responsibilities that she has never known. Initially she is left with the responsibility of caring for the children while the others worked the fields. She has never performed these duties because she always had someone to do them for her. There was more tragedy as her mother becomes ill and she must work the field in order to survive. The book portrays the hardships faced by many Mexicans during this time period. The story makes you feel for the young girl. The family not only struggled to survive but with how to thrive in a country in which they did not know. This book was an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone. The story is enlightening as well as descriptive. It not only takes you on journey of change but the lesson of life of overcoming diversity. The name Esperanza means hope in Spanish perfect for the situations that are faced in the book.
Other books by this author: Paint the Wind, One Hundred is a Family, Hello Ocean, and Becoming Naomi Leon....and many others. Many of these books are available in Spanish.
Picture Reference:http://www.nhps.net/johncdaniels/images/Esperanza_Rising.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment