Esperanza Rising

Ryan, P. M. (2000). Esperanza rising. Scholastic. 262 pages. ISBN 9780439120425

Primary genre: historical fiction

Other elements: family, friendship, loss

Intended reader age: 8 and up

Synopsis:

All it took was one night for Esperanza’s world to be completely destroyed. Papa is gone, Abuelita has gone back to live with her sisters, and the only way for Esperanza and Mama stay together involves them crossing the boarder. California is not what Esperanza imagined it to be though. The Depression is sweeping across the county and bringing with it more workers all looking for jobs. The work is harder than she ever thought possible and when Mama falls sick it is up to Esperanza to take her place in the fields.

Review:

One idea that is presented in the novel is how the workers do not think of time in terms of months or even really seasons. At least not seasons as we traditionally think of them (summer, fall, spring, winter). They view time in terms of the seasons that the crops go through. This concept, although presented later, is presented at the . Each chapter is given the name of the crop that would be in season for picking at that time. We begin and end with grapes.

There were a number of difficult subjects that Ryan addresses in the story and I think she did a great job of making them accessible and interesting for both older and younger readers. There is enough detail to give information of what is occurring but it does not become too detailed or graphic. A part of me wishes that there had been more on the difficulties that were faced by the crop workers, along with a follow up of what had happened to Marta. But, those elements were not the main focus of the story, they are just part of the problems that Esperanza must overcome.

While reading this I was reminded of Patricia Beatty’s Lupita Manana, which offers readers a more modern look at the issue of relocating to the United States. This story does go in to the more dangerous look of crossing the boarder. Even though they are set in different times both books cover similar topics: the loss of a parent, crossing the border, and poor work conditions.