Esperanza rising is about a rich spoiled girl in Mexico who has everything she could ever want to be taken away from her by a tragedy. Through this tragic event, she is forced to move to California with a family that works for her. She had a hard time adapting to the circumstance in the beginning, but, eventually learned how dire her situation was. She then learns the importance of her role in taking care of her family and is overall humbled by her journey. To me, this book was boring; a book like this doesn’t appeal to people my age group. Although, it was interesting learning about how Esperanza rose to the occasion and the theme of the book was good. I enjoyed reading about Esperanza and her love interest and how they were “forbidden,” but, I didn’t enjoy the story overall. I think this is a good book to teach kids a good lesson, but not a good personal favorite book.

This story by Ryan set in the Great Depression of the 20th century covers topics such as downfall and racism. Esperanza starts off living wealthy in a mansion until her father was murdered by bandits, which caused their family’s property to go to her uncle Tio Luis. However, he threatens to marry Esperanza’s mother which created a longing for Esperanza and her mother to flee to a Mexican labor camp in California, leaving Esperanza’s grandmother Abuelita behind. This novel will certainly appeal to those who are interested in the history of California or the Great Depression in general.

Esperanza Rising’s concept is immigration and trying to fight for their independence. I read this book back in 5th grade and I didn’t understand much but it was still really heart warming to me. Before moving to America during the Great Depression, Esperanza was in a happy and affluent family. She was always fed with delicious food and dressed in the best dresses. After something big happened, all the wonderful things she was blessed with disappeared. This causes her mom and her to travel to America for a new chance. Although they came to America at the worst time, the Great Depression. Esperanza’s mom becomes sick and a strike rises in their workforce. Esperanza is faced with these conflicts and has to rise above herself for her own life. This book really made me emotional in some parts. It makes me feel how lucky my situation is and just brings all of my emotions.

Age 10+

A beautiful, poetically written historical novel of a wealthy Mexican girl whose family loses everything in 1930 and must flee with former servants to become farmworkers in California. Many themes are woven together like a tapestry in this story: coping with loss, adapting to a new culture/place, class/racial tensions, putting others above self, “rising from the ashes”, the value and dignity of all people, the value of hard work. Inspiring & powerful - I would recommend without reservation, from preteens to adults.

This book has such great character development and the narration pulled me in from the very beginning. Another great read from the Juvenile fiction section that is well worth a look.

I read this book just after my mother died. I found it quite comforting. I could easily relate to the characters even though I’m a middle-class, middle-aged white woman born forty years after this novel takes place. All people, no matter our backgrounds, grieve when our loved ones die. It’s a sad fact, but also a reassuring reminder that we are not alone in our shared humanity. Recommended for the bereaved, or anyone interested in reading a realistic historical fiction account of immigration and social class divisions during the Great Depression. Read-alikes: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

I just listened to this audio book and loved it! I picked it up because I know it's a middle grade reading requirement for some schools and I was curious. It's a new classical favorite about a girl who gets uprooted from her life and adapts to a new life in America. Takes place during the 1920's and California strikes for workers of the farms.

This was a recent selection from my Book Club, and made a nice companion piece to The Grapes of Wrath, which we read in the spring of this year. It was interesting to compare the work experiences and living conditions of Esperanza and her family to that of the Joad Family's, albeit in a shorter and less complicated form.

Functioning as modern American fairy tale, Esperanza is tasked with rectifying her father's untimely death, her mother's sickness, and the complicated politics of labor relations in Depression-era California. An inspiring and surprisingly dense work of art.