5 stars for Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
This book comes highly recommended to me by CL, a book buddy of mine, more than three years ago. Well, I am not at all sorry that I read this book now. In fact, I think it is really good that I read it now, at this time.
There is always a reason for everything. Because of this story, I am back to the craft of crocheting. Actually, I have been thinking of crocheting of late, just that this book acts as the final catalyst to deviate me from my reading and propel me back into the world of crocheting. Because the mama and grandmama and other women in the story - yes, you guess it right - crochet. The story mentions more than a few times about the women who crochet. And I think to myself. Why not? I am, after all, not a complete beginner to this craft having crochet a scarf many years ago. Though not totally new to crocheting, I am certainly no expert either. I consider myself still very much of a novice. With that, I start spending time researching and reading up to refresh my memory and learning more on stitches and patterns and hooks. That is also how I come to invest in a lovely set of crochet hooks, the Tulip crochet hooks.
Long story short, this book is the reason I crochet again and also my excuse for taking so long to finish reading the book, and taking even longer to write and post my review. Nevertheless, here it is. Now.
Esperanza Rising is a story about survival, of hopes and dreams and future. Interestingly, esperanza means “hope” in Spanish. It is an excellent story for readers of all ages. I feel it is especially suitable for young children as it educates and provides good knowledge. It teaches us to be kind to others, even to those who are not our equals. Because you reap what you sow.
The story of Esperanza Rising is loosely based on the life of the author's grandmother, Esperanza Ortega who is the inspiration for the book. According to the author's note, a series of circumstances, including her father's death, eventually forced the author's grandmother who is born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico to immigrate to the United States to a company-owned farm labour camp in Arvin, California.
Esperanza Rising is a frictional story that parallels the life of the author's grandmother in more ways than one. Set in 1930, initially in Aguascalientes, Mexico and later on, California, USA, the story revolves around 13-year old Esperanza Ortega and tells of how her family goes from riches to rags.
One thing which I like and which makes my reading very enjoyable is that after each sentence of Spanish - where there are, and no, this book is not written in Spanish but English - comes the English translation of the same meaning. I am spared the trouble of turning to Google translate every now and then. Thank you very much!
Finally.. with my 'newfound' interest in crocheting, I will be reading very slowly, as in really really slow, at a snail's pace, never before slow. The thing is, I may read slow or even stop reading for weeks, months, years but I will always come back to reading, no matter what. What this translates to is that my book review post may be slow in coming or even stop, but I will be back.
P/S: I am sharing some of my completed crochet projects at the bottom of this same post.
This book comes highly recommended to me by CL, a book buddy of mine, more than three years ago. Well, I am not at all sorry that I read this book now. In fact, I think it is really good that I read it now, at this time.
There is always a reason for everything. Because of this story, I am back to the craft of crocheting. Actually, I have been thinking of crocheting of late, just that this book acts as the final catalyst to deviate me from my reading and propel me back into the world of crocheting. Because the mama and grandmama and other women in the story - yes, you guess it right - crochet. The story mentions more than a few times about the women who crochet. And I think to myself. Why not? I am, after all, not a complete beginner to this craft having crochet a scarf many years ago. Though not totally new to crocheting, I am certainly no expert either. I consider myself still very much of a novice. With that, I start spending time researching and reading up to refresh my memory and learning more on stitches and patterns and hooks. That is also how I come to invest in a lovely set of crochet hooks, the Tulip crochet hooks.
Long story short, this book is the reason I crochet again and also my excuse for taking so long to finish reading the book, and taking even longer to write and post my review. Nevertheless, here it is. Now.
Esperanza Rising is a story about survival, of hopes and dreams and future. Interestingly, esperanza means “hope” in Spanish. It is an excellent story for readers of all ages. I feel it is especially suitable for young children as it educates and provides good knowledge. It teaches us to be kind to others, even to those who are not our equals. Because you reap what you sow.
The story of Esperanza Rising is loosely based on the life of the author's grandmother, Esperanza Ortega who is the inspiration for the book. According to the author's note, a series of circumstances, including her father's death, eventually forced the author's grandmother who is born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico to immigrate to the United States to a company-owned farm labour camp in Arvin, California.
Esperanza Rising is a frictional story that parallels the life of the author's grandmother in more ways than one. Set in 1930, initially in Aguascalientes, Mexico and later on, California, USA, the story revolves around 13-year old Esperanza Ortega and tells of how her family goes from riches to rags.
One thing which I like and which makes my reading very enjoyable is that after each sentence of Spanish - where there are, and no, this book is not written in Spanish but English - comes the English translation of the same meaning. I am spared the trouble of turning to Google translate every now and then. Thank you very much!
Finally.. with my 'newfound' interest in crocheting, I will be reading very slowly, as in really really slow, at a snail's pace, never before slow. The thing is, I may read slow or even stop reading for weeks, months, years but I will always come back to reading, no matter what. What this translates to is that my book review post may be slow in coming or even stop, but I will be back.
P/S: I am sharing some of my completed crochet projects at the bottom of this same post.
