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Esperanza Rising is an historical fiction work of art by Pam Munoz Ryan. It is based on a true story, but some parts are slightly modified, and this is what makes it so interesting. It is about a girl named Esperanza, and she had a rich family. “The wealthy still own most of the land, while some of the poor have not even a garden plot.” said Esperanza’s mother (12). Then her father died because bandits killed him and the farm was left to her evil uncles. Her older uncle proposed to marry her mother, and her mother said yes. Then one night Esperanza ran away with her mother and the servants to go to America. Unfortunately, they couldn’t bring Abuelita, Esperanza’s grandmother, because she had a twisted ankle. Esperanza had to ride under the wagon floor on a lower floor with her mother, because Alfonso, Esperanza’s father’s workmate, said “It is not safe for women to be on the roads at night.”  (48). This book is about how Esperanza descended from a rich but otherwise not too good life in Mexico to a bad life in Mexico, and then ascended to a glorious new life in America. Esperanza Rising also has a lot of nice literary devices, such as, “She fell to her knees and fell into a dark hole of despair and disbelief.” (22) And “They were numb, as if encased in a thick skin that nothing could penetrate” (43). Overall, it’s a great book that really draws you in to the story!!!

My Mother’s Journey to Three Different Countries is about my mother’s trip to America, from Seoul, South Korea. She went to France first and then went to America, planning only to take a look, but she liked it and decided to stay. Take a quick look at this book and see how much you like it!