Esperanza Rising

By: Pam Muñoz Ryan

     Esperanza Rising is a historical fiction novel that received the Pura Belpré Award.  Set in the Depression Era, the book follows the story of 13-year-old Esperanza Ortega and her family and friends.  Initially wealthy landowners of "El Rancho de las Rosas" in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the Ortega family experiences a drastic change when Esperanza's papa is killed by a group of bandits.  After her papa dies, Esperanza, her Mama, and some of their friends/former servants (Alfonso, Hortensia, and Miguel) must leave Mexico to begin new lives in California.  Upon entering the United States, Esperanza faces many trials as she adjusts to her new life at the company farm camp as a worker, but she also learns the important values of family, love, and hope.

     From the first page of the book, Muñoz Ryan frames the story with short sayings written in Spanish to immediately draw readers into the authenticity of the setting.  The two Mexican proverbs translate to "He who falls today may rise tomorrow" and "The rich person is richer when he becomes poor, than the poor person when he becomes rich."  Both of these quotations introduce some of the important themes and the bits of Spanish text throughout the book.  The title of every chapter is the name of a crop written in Spanish, with an English translation in smaller print below.  This organization style allows readers to enter the mindset of the farm-working calendar, in that time is measured by whatever crop workers are harvesting and packaging at any given moment.  Esperanza echoes this idea late in the story when she states that "she didn't measure time by the usual seasons. Instead, she told it as a field-worker, in spans of fruits and vegetables and by what needed to be done to the land" (p. 246).  In terms of authenticity, Muñoz Ryan also depicts traditional Mexican foods (i.e. frijoles, tortillas, flan, etc.) and other Spanish phrases, most of which are immediately followed by English translations.  While I do think the translations are necessary to increase understanding, they occasionally break up the natural flow of the text.

     The book reverses the traditional rags to riches plot found in many fairy tales by depicting Esperanza's adjustment into life as a worker instead of "la reina" (the queen) she was on her family's ranch in Mexico.  By challenging the traditional idea of the American Dream which equates wealth to happiness, the story makes readers think about what truly matters in finding joy.  In this story, joy comes from the support of loved ones, faith, hope, and resilience.  One phrase that is repeated in the book is "do not ever be afraid to start over" (p. 253).  This phrase parallels the image of Esperanza as a phoenix, rising from the ashes to start anew, and becomes a powerful image for readers.

     Within the Author's Note following the story, Muñoz Ryan draws upon reader emotions even more when she states that the story is based on the experiences of her own grandmother, also named Esperanza Ortega.  While the story is fictional, this connection to real history encourages readers to continue to reflect on the main issues present.  The story depicts serious themes of immigration, racism, death, illness, labor issues, and socioeconomic differences and prejudice; each issue is explored in depth by presenting many of the challenges accompanying characters as they grapple with the world.

     The writing style and serious nature of the issues developed within the story made me an emotionally invested reader that never wanted to put the book down.  I think this book would be best for late elementary school readers, and would align well with any study of Mexican-American history, immigration or labor issues, and/or the Depression Era.