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In her work of fiction, Esperanza Rising, author Pam Muñoz Ryan frames the passing of a tumultuous year in one young girl’s life by the months of agricultural seasons. She weaves a story threaded with the immigrant field worker experience, the wisdom and strength of women, and the power of necessary, if sometimes painful, change. The protagonist, Esperanza Ortega, grows from a privileged child into a mature young woman. She is still able to dream while finding family, security, purpose, and good in what once brought her despair. She accomplishes this purpose even in the aftermath of the inciting incident and a child’s most harrowing personal tragedy: the death of a beloved parent.

Esperanza’s story can be described as one of riches to rags, but more importantly it is a story of rebuilding and starting over from the foundation of one’s past. The novel’s introduction offers a vision of Esperanza’s bond with her father and the land where they live. They listen together for that land’s heartbeat, something the very young Esperanza is at first too impatient to hear. When she does settle down and listen, she becomes aware of the connection to her land that this act creates, which later makes her sorrow at leaving Mexico and everything she has known even more heartbreaking. On the way to California, Esperanza attempts to connect with the unfamiliar land in the same way, and her failure to do so leaves her devastated and exhausted.

Esperanza’s sheltered past cannot possibly prepare her for the new life she encounters in the workers’ camp in California, but several female role models illuminate her path, and Miguel’s deep, guiding friendship helps her along the way. Several vignettes illustrate Esperanza’s growth into her new reality as she learns to perform household chores, take care of small children, and navigate the social dynamics of the workers’ camp. Esperanza’s despair and shame at the loss of her father, her home, and her dreams leads her to frequently lash out or insult others. Her frustration tests her family and friends repeatedly as she processes her fear and discomfort; however, Esperanza’s family shows her understanding, support, and patience through this transition. Circumstances force Esperanza to accept her family’s help on a deeper level when her Mama becomes seriously ill, and this crisis illustrates that Esperanza has grown beyond her initial snobbery and is learning to balance humility with dignity. Despite her sadness, she takes on more roles and responsibilities as she matures, and her emotional growth is evident as she abandons selfishness to foster her mother’s recovery, contribute to her community, and prove to herself and others that she has moved beyond her privileged past.

Esperanza Rising resonates with its powerful descriptions of the early Mexican immigrant experience. Ingrained class divisions are intertwined within already disadvantaged groups, making the lives of already struggling people even more challenging when they squabble with one another. Esperanza’s antagonist is the young Marta, a migrant farm worker whose suffering due to reduced circumstances results in a burning need for justice. Marta’s character arc provides perspective on the differences among the various worker camps, including their levels of protection, sanitation, and wages, as well as the availability of food. These disparities sometimes create a threatening atmosphere between groups that comes to a boiling point, resulting in strikes, violence, and immigration police raids that threaten to separate families. The immigrant community in the story is a group of intelligent, caring, creative people who are unafraid of hard work and brimming with their own hopes and dreams. They are protective of their jobs and aware of both the precariousness of their situation and what is necessary to survive. Esperanza finds herself in a position between the disadvantaged migrant workers and her own need for safety. Marta’s pleading for her mother during a police raid strikes fear in Esperanza, yet Esperanza hushes Marta’s apology for misjudging her earlier as a privileged princess, and instead aids Marta’s escape.

Frequent references to Abuelita’s words and actions and to Mama’ strength even through illness illustrate that Esperanza has the foundation to do more than merely survive. The bond between the three women is the main force driving Esperanza’s choice to work hard and earn enough to bring Abuelita to California, as Abuelita would bring with her a healing presence. Miguel’s implied betrayal when the money goes missing is out of character for him, but the pace of the story moves the action quickly forward and prevents Esperanza from pondering it at length. Esperanza has too much work to do to wallow in fury, and the fact that she immediately sets to her tasks demonstrates yet again that Esperanza is no longer afraid to start over.

Esperanza survives a year that could easily have broken her, and her story ends with a nod to her past that foreshadows the strength she will continue to draw upon throughout her future. Esperanza experiences a full-circle moment of physical communion with the land as she listens for its heartbeat in the hills high above the workers’ camp, just as she once did with her father in Mexico. She dreams of a future that seems possible and real, her thoughts rising enough to make her feel as if she is levitating. Esperanza can see a future that expands beyond her own wants and needs.

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