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2. Coming of Age, Grades 6-10

3. The main character is a young girl named Esperanza Ortega. She is a smart, pampered young girl. While she is not spoiled, her lack of education about simple skills (cooking, cleaning, etc) will soon catch up with her.

4. Plot: Esperanza lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico with her mother and father on El Rancho de las Rosas. Her father is a wealthy grape plantation owner and employees several dozens of workers. Esperanza attends a private school and so has two groups of friends: those at school, with a similar socio-economic background, and those on the ranch, who understand her better, but are in a different social class. Miguel is the son of two workers on the plantation. He and Esperanza have been friends for quite some time. Her birthday is approaching and she is excited that both her school friends and plantation friends will be there.  

The day before Esperanza’s birthday, her father leaves with the vaqueros to work the cattle. He had been warned that bandits were in the area, but he was not concerned. After hours of waiting and wondering, news comes that her father has died after an attack by bandits. Esperanza, her mother, and grandmother morn the loss of Papa, along with Miguel’s family and the others on the plantation.  

With Papa dead, the house became the property of Ramona, his wife, and the land became the property of his brother, Luis. Luis offers to buy the house from Ramona, but she refuses to sell. He then offers Ramona his hand in marriage-again, Ramona refuses, knowing that Luis is a seedy, cold hearted man. Then, late one night, Luis sets fire to the grape vines-ruining them all and killing any chance for income that Esperanza and Ramona might have had.  

With no income and no other choice, Ramona and Esperanza escape Mexico with Miguel and his family. They travel to California to work in the fields with cousins of Miguel’s family. Here, Esperanza must become stronger and learn things most other children have known for years. She must learn to sweep, cook, take care of children, and work in the fields. With only new faces surrounding her and her mother, Esperanza feels alone. As she works to come to terms with her new surroundings, her sudden equality with Miguel, and her father’s death, Esperanza must also take care of her mother, who suffers an infection from a dust storm. 

Eventually, Esperanza learns that she is much stronger than she could ever have imagined, and that love happens no matter how much money you have. Esperanza and her mother struggle together and emerge triumphant-“rising” above everything else.

6. Related Titles: Parrot in the Oven by Victor Martinez- coming of age story centered around a Hispanic family, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, coming of age story centered around a young girl, Across the Wire: Life and Times on the Mexican Border by Luis Alberto Urrea, Leaving Home, edited by Hazel Rochman.

7. Music: Salsa music, Latin Guitar sounds, Santana 
Photos: Pictures of migrant workers and wealthy plantations in Mexico 
Poetry: “Legal Alien” by Pat Mora, “Daily” by Naomi Shihab Nye          Classic Work: Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya

8. Evaluation: I loved this book and I plan to offer it as a choice in my unit on Immigration next semester. Esperanza Rising shows us migrant work from the perspective of a child-it is wonderfully poignant.

9. Reviewed by