Shalom Sistas

Esperanza thought she’d always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico–she’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances–Mama’s life, and her own, depend on it. In this episode, Cara and I chat about, "Esperanza Rising" by Pam Munoz Ryan.  I feel like Sanda Sherdin, a listener said in the hangout sums up everything we loved about the book: I really loved the perspective on the era, immigration, the struggle of migrant workers, and prejudices. Stories like this are huge at developing empathy for people in positions we otherwise wouldn't even know how to imagine. More than anything though, I loved the identity story. Esperanza first found her id