Esperanza Rising by Pam Monuz Ryan

Have you ever read a book that you just couldn’t put down? During this summer I read an outstanding novel titled Esperanza Rising. Pam Monuz Ryan created an engaging story that will keep you reading all day. Esperanza Ortega was living a wonderful life in Mexico with her family. The night of her thirteenth birthday, bandits killed her father. After hearing the bad news, Esperanza’s evil uncles sneakily came to their ranch. They strongly told Ramona Ortega (Esperanza’s mom) that if she did not marry Tio Luis (Ramona’s brother in-law) there would be consequences. Because, Tio Luis was the governor of Mexico at the time, he wanted to marry the most known women in Mexico.  When Ramona Ortega declined his offer, the two evil uncles set the Ortega’s ranch on fire. Days later, Ramona Ortega agreed on marrying Tio Luis. Later that night Esperanza and her mom escaped from Mexico and traveled to the United States. Esperanza was then forced to live a different life. She had to go to a camp for Mexican farm workers. She was now considered a poor farmer in California. The ending of the book will make you realize how fortunate you should be for what you have. I wont spoil the ending, so you’ll just have to read it! Esperanza Rising is a little bit of a fairy-tale but also can be a real life situation. Esperanza Rising includes a very important message though. Even if something tragic happens you have to find a way to move on. I think this book’s message, brings out character traits. It shows that Esperanza is a strong determined teenager. Besides theme, there are symbols used in the story. Esperanza learns a zigzag stitch pattern for making a blanket. The zigzags on the blanket are a symbol because it shows the ups and downs in everyone’s lives. There are many other symbols in the book but you just have to read to find them out! Esperanza Rising takes place during the Great Depression. If you didn’t know, families had a lot of financial problems back then. Truthfully, reading this book made me change my way of life. I now always try to think positive like Esperanza did. Overall, Esperanza Rising was one of the best books I read and I definitely recommend it to anyone my age. ­