He who falls today may rise tomorrow - An Immigrant’s Story of Perseverance

Book : Esperanza rising 

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan

Genre: Fiction ( young adult ) 

Pura Belpré Award winner(Medal )  for narrative in the year 2002. 

 Based on the author’s life events, this story revolves around a young immigrant from Mexico to the USA. Read the short story synopsis and the book review here

Esperanza was the daughter of a rich rancher, Sixto Ortega. She lived in el Rancho de las Rosas, Aguascalientes, Mexico, along with her father, mother Ramona, grandma Abuelita, and the servant family Alfonso, Hortensia, and their son Miguel.

She was a Happy-go girl until her thirteenth birthday, the end of the harvest and she was all set for a feast the next day since it was her birthday. But to her shock, her father who went with the farmers for some

Cattle work didn’t return home till evening. Her father’s step brothers Tio Louis and Tio Marco who hold a big post in their community ( whom she doesn’t like ) come home just to say that her father and his men were attacked by the bandits and they are no more. 

Life gets upside down, Her uncle Tio Louis, the bank president comes with a proposal to marry her mother, the reason being he wants to compete for the governor post and Ramona by his side as a wife will help him to get more votes. Their house and the ranch were set on fire since her mom refused his proposal. Abuelita gets a fracture in her ankle and is sent to the convent where her sisters work.

Mama, Esperanza and the servant family escape to Los Angeles with the help of their neighbour and Abuelita’s sisters .abuelita was left back in el Rancho de las Rosas since she was injured, but she had promised to join them once she is cured. They get settled in a Mexican camp where Alfonso’s brother and his family live. 

From a princess to an immigrant in a camp, they were forced to start life again in a small wooden cabin. How she gets adjusted to life as an immigrant, the tough times that follow her and whether Abuelita has joined them is the rest of the story.

Review

A heart-touching and inspiring story of perseverance, struggle, loss, hard work, hope etc. The character, Esperanza impresses us right from being a rich rancher daughter who used to say to Miguel “We stand on different sides of the river “ to Moving away with him as an immigrant, facing a lot of hardships in the USA, and feeling for the words she said whenever she came across Miguel. The story starts with a Spanish proverb which means “ He who falls today may rise tomorrow “which typically conveys the theme of the book. Miguel’s character is very impressive, he reiterates to Esperanza every time how important hard work and perseverance is. Do not ever be afraid to start over is the concluding word of the novel by Esperanza, while she is waiting for a better tomorrow, because Esperanza means Hope in Spanish. 

Check out the book to find out how Esperanza is trying to rise against all odds.