by Pam Munoz Ryan, Trini Alvarado, Listening Library
Published
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Language
English
Publisher
Listening Library
Kindle
$3.99
Hardcover
$12.99
Paperback
$5.34
Audiobook
$9.84
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Esperanza Ortega possesses all the treasures a young girl could want: fancy dresses; a beautiful home filled with servants in the bountiful region of Aguascalientes, Mexico; and the promise of one day rising to Mama’s position and presiding over all of El Rancho de las Rosas. But a sudden tragedy shatters that dream, forcing Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. There they confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression.
When Mama falls ill from Valley Fever and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must relinquish her hold on the past and learn to embrace a future ripe with the riches of family and community.
In the heart of the 1930s, Esperanza Ortega is a young girl living a life of privilege on her family's ranch in Mexico. She is poised for a future filled with promise and comfort, having been taught to always rise above adversity. However, when a sudden tragedy strikes, Esperanza is faced with a reality she never imagined.
Forced to journey to California, she must grapple with the harsh realities of immigrant life. As she learns to embrace change and find hope in unexpected places, Esperanza discovers the true meaning of resilience and the strength found in family.
Esperanza transitions from wealth to understanding the value of humility and strength. Challenges compel Esperanza to discover her inner courage and sense of community. The novel highlights the journey of hope amidst adversity and cultural displacement.
Living an idyllic life of luxury in 1930s Mexico Esperanza Ortega envisions a future radiant with ease and privilege at her family's lush ranch. Yet unforeseen calamity shatters her reality propelling her into an unfamiliar world. Faced with the task of adjusting to a drastically altered life Esperanza must adapt to the harsh realities of working in the labor camps of California.
Struggling with cultural displacement financial uncertainties and a new social paradigm she learns to navigate through adversity. As Esperanza confronts her harsh new existence she discovers budding resilience in the face of adversity. This transformative journey becomes a profound story of courage hope and the unbreakable bond of family.
Through Esperanza's eyes readers are introduced to an era of social change where people are forced to redefine themselves amidst stark cultural shifts and economic hardships. With each change Esperanza finds the strength to not merely survive but to rise above her challenges and redefine her identity discovering hope and the power of love.
Esperanza Rising shines through its rich presentation of historical and cultural landscapes offering readers a vivid depiction of Depression-era America The setting brings authenticity to the story drawing readers into the historical backdrop. Pam Muñoz Ryan’s storytelling deftly balances themes of adversity and resilience creating a captivating narrative enriched by multi-layered characters Esperanza's transformation resonates deeply conveying timeless lessons on growth and strength. The emotional depth and compelling characters enrich the narrative making it a poignant exploration of hope identity and the unwavering spirit of a young girl determined to rise above difficult circumstances.
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Based on 10705 ratings
Esperanza Rising, which details the life of 13 year old Esperanza Ortega during the Great Depression, was written by Pam Muñoz Ryan and was inspired by her grandmother’s immigration to the United States. Young Esperanza lives a life of privilege as the daughter of a wealthy landowner in Mexico, but that all changes when vigilante bandits, angry about the disparities between the rich and the poor, murder her father. Due to the greedy intentions of her uncles, Esperanza and her mother are forced to leave her injured grandmother behind and immigrate to the United States where they move into a farm laborer camp and Esperanza must learn to adapt to a life of poverty. Ryan has written a moving tale of hope and overcoming obstacles that I would recommend to readers not only as an educational resource, but also as an uplifting leisure activity. I chose to read Esperanza Rising in order to evaluate its usefulness as a text in a Spanish class. I’ve determined that Ryan’s novel would be a great addition to a Spanish classroom, as well as a number of other classrooms such as US History or English. The English version of the text is peppered with useful Spanish vocabulary that could be added to a classroom word wall. References to many aspects of Mexican culture are made throughout the novel and teachers could use the novel as a lens through which their students can examine: Mexican proverbs, the quinceañera, and colorismo (the prejudice that exists in many Latin American countries against people with darker skin tones). Esperanza Rising also offers insight to several important historical events/themes. As a future Spanish teacher I could use this text to teach my students about the long lasting aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, as can be seen in the extreme resentment that the Mexican bandits feel towards the wealthy Mexican landowners like Esperanza’s father. I could also do a unit on immigration and teach my students about the factors (escaping from violence, seeking the American Dream, etc.) driving Latinos to leave their native countries and the realities of their lives upon reaching the United States. If I were really ambitious I could even collaborate with my students’ social studies and literature teachers in order to synchronize our schedules so that while the history class is learning about the Great Depression, and the English class is reading The Grapes of Wrath, my students would be reading Esperanza Rising. This would provide students with a much richer understanding of the Great Depression as they would be learning about its historical context in their history classrooms and reading about that period in the US from not only the perspective of Okies, but also from the perspective of Mexican immigrants. While Esperanza Rising is surely a fantastic book to use in a classroom, the novel would also be great for young adults in the mood for a moving tale. When her mother becomes ill, Esperanza must start working in order to pay for her mother’s medical bills and to save money in order to bring her grandmother to the United States. As readers we get to see Esperanza’s transformation from a spoiled brat who couldn’t imagine her life without servants, to a hard-working young woman who successfully puts her family back together. The only thing that I really disliked about the text was its predictability. There is ample foreshadowing throughout the novel that leaves very little room for surprise. Some examples of this are when Esperanza pricks her finger on a rose’s thorn (a sign of bad luck) before her father’s death and when Esperanza’s grandmother unravels Esperanza’s attempt at crochet and tells her that she shouldn’t be afraid to start over. These were very obvious signs that Esperanza’s world was going to be turned upside down and she would need to adapt to her new circumstances. While foreshadowing is a useful tool in a book, too much foreshadowing made Esperanza Rising a bit too predictable to be truly exciting. That being said, Esperanza Rising is still a very rewarding read. It is immensely satisfying to see Esperanza effectively navigate the ups and downs of her life and ultimately succeed in her goal to reunite her family. This novel will leave readers with the understanding that even when life brings you down to the lowest valley, it is still possible to reach the peak of the mountain with hard work and perseverance.
I am a fifth grade teacher who can’t stop recommending this to anyone that asks. It’s an incredibly beautiful story and the kids get so excited to read more. It has a ton of cliff hangers. ( especially since we read it chapter by chapter) there is so much to learn. And is a beautiful journey of growth. I look forward to teaching from this book every year!
This beautifully written book details a critical time in Esperanza Ortega’s life; and the author creates scenes of a farm worker’s existence through various harvests and hardships. A quick read, and an important one—anyone who knows about the struggles of farm workers and migrant workers can tell you how difficult their lives are. California produces 80 percent of the nation’s food, and very few lessons are taught about the diligent workers behind the pretty produce in stacks at the grocery store. This story is a wonderful gateway to learn about the unsung heroes who do the back-breaking work to feed a nation and their own families.
Book review (for a Children's Literature class): Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan is a wonderful, heartfelt story that grips at your emotions of despair, fear, determination, and hope. The story begins with a young girl named Esperanza who lives in Mexico on a large vineyard with her mother, father, grandmother, and servants in the year 1930. The story takes place after the Mexican Revolution when many of the poorer people were still very angry with the rich land owners. Esperanza is very wealthy and has not a care in the world more than planning her Quinceanera fiesta which won’t occur for another two years. “They still had two more years to wait, but so much to discuss -- the beautiful white gowns they would wear, the big celebrations where they would be presented, and the sons of the richest families who would dance with them” (7). She has many dresses, wonderful food, and does not have to bother with household chores like sweeping or cleaning the house. All of that changes in an instant, however, when a terrible event occurs that forces her mother and Esperanza to immigrate to America. They, along with their former servants, catch the train to California, hoping to start a new life. Esperanza finds herself suddenly poor and without the luxuries in which she had grown so accustomed. “How could she be happy or grateful when she had never been more miserable in her life?” (105). Her mother and her go to work on a farm in the San Joaquin valley where they have many difficult times. Esperanza has trouble adjusting to a life where she is not treated as royalty, and many people in the camp give her strife because of this. “‘Just so you know. This isn’t Mexico. No one will be waiting on you here’” (99). Through the ups and downs in the camp however, Esperanza learns that her loved ones are the only thing she really needs and she takes the difficult times in stride. She grows as a person and finds herself along the way. Overall, I felt that this book was very well written and a wonderful story about a girl who goes from riches to rags. This book would be a wonderful addition to any home or classroom library and could be used to promote historical and cross cultural understanding. The novel deals with many issues, including racism and social class status, which are described in a way that allows children to begin to understand them. Esperanza believes that she is better than the others in the camp for a long time. She does not like the conditions of the camp because she thinks that she should not live as a poor person. “Esperanza felt anger crawling up her throat. ‘Mama, we are living like horses! How can you sing? We don’t even have a room to call our own’” (102). Throughout the story, she grows and realizes the error of her thoughts. This is something that I really enjoyed about the novel. I think that viewing the world through Esperanza’s eyes make readers realize how sheltered she was and how ignorant at times she is, while still maintaining a sense of understanding and empathy for her as well. I also really enjoyed the language used in the novel. The author uses Spanish words many times throughout the story, and in the title of each chapter, and follows the with the English equivalent. This in and of itself allows the reader to better immerse themselves in the story and culture. The reader can learn some Spanish words while reading this story, which is wonderful for children! The writing really helps to bring across a cross cultural understanding, and I think that is one of the best things about this novel. Overall, I would highly recommend this book, both for parents and educators. I also would like to recommend the audio book, as I think it was extremely well done!
This was a required reading book for my 11 year old going into 6th grade. Although it starts off sad, which my sensitive daughter was not a fan of, it kept her interest. My daughter said there was suspenseful moments that kept her interested and made her want to continue to read it. She said it was a roller coaster of emotions. She really enjoyed it.