Life in Mexico is ideal when we first meet Esperanza and her family amidst their vineyards and the love in their family. It all quickly and harshly disappears, though, as her father is murdered and her uncles maneuver to control her mother and the family fortunes. Esperanza and her mother courageously immigrate to the United States and the cruel life that awaits. How much can the shoulders of one thirteen-year-old bear?
260 pages 978-0439120418 Ages 10-13
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
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Esperanza Rising is about a young girl called Esperanza. Esperanza’s life is perfect until… her father dies. Because there is not a male is the household they can’t own their plantation anymore. That means that Esperanza’s horrible uncles take over their life. One of Esperanza’s uncle force her mother to marry them but she refuses. He promised to make their life miserable but before he has a chance Esperanza’s house burns down leaving them with nothing.
One of her family’s servants Miguel has family in America. They all decide to move there but they have to leave their grandmother behind. Esperanza didn’t realize how much work living and working on a plantation is.
Can Esperanza get out of the plantation? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
I would recommend this book to kids 8-12. This book really takes the reader on an adventure through the past.
By: Amy L.
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A timeless, unforgettable riches to rags immigration story and beloved, award-winning modern classic, perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Rita Williams-Garcia.
Esperanza thought she'd always live a privileged life on her family's ranch in Mexico. She'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--because Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.---from the publisher
