52 Books in a year - Week Six - Esperanza Rising

This book was another recomendation from my wonderful friend Janine - she sent me a few books to read and I have rather enjoyed what she has sent so far, only one more to go! Anyway, Janine often reads young adult fiction which i have some to enjoy very much, it is a way to enjoy a story without the time commitment and i often find i think more about these books than much adult fiction. My other favorite part is to see how the story parallels adult stories that are similar - see my next post about my book club book from June for a complete explanation.

This young adult fiction tale was about a young girl named Esperanza who is very wealthy and lives in Mexico. Very early on her father dies and they lose everything and are forced to come to America to work as peasants. While this is clearly a fictional tale of what this life must have been like, it was a great book for discussing with young adults what this life was like and how common it was and still is today. It brings up issues or race, class, and a side of poverty we often don't think of. Overall, I would recommend this book for all to read, especially young girls who need something that is a bit more challenging than much of what is out there.