Esperanza has an envious life. The only child of a rich ranch owner in Mexico, doted on by her parents, lots of pretty dresses, education, servants, etc. Yes, it is an idyllic life and one Esperanza can't imagine changing until one day it does. Her father is murdered by bandits and according to her uncle, everything but the house is left to him. Her mother has the house but without the income from the ranch, there is no way to keep it so her uncle, her father's brother, says he will marry her mother but both she and her mother know that he is a cruel man and they would be separated. So instead, they choose to run and hide all the way to America. Some of the family servants are going and offer them a place with them and their family that has already been established in CA working as crop pickers. It will be a hard life, harder than either of them has known, but at least they have the chance to stay together and free. They had no way of knowing that they were immigrating right during the start of what would later be known as the Great Depression.
A beautifully done tale of heartache and love, despair and hope, telling a tale that too often goes untold of why people immigrate and the hardships they face. This is something I think there needs to be greater visibility and discussion of and let us remember that first of all, these are humans who are deserving of respect and compassion.
Page count: 304p/8,060p ytd/318,945p lifetime
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