The journey of Esperanza and her family from Mexico to the United States is fraught with challenges and adaptation. Upon crossing the border, they are met by relatives in Los Angeles and introduced to the harsh realities of their new life.
Though Miguel cannot compensate for the money
he stole, he brings back Abuelita and everyone is
happy in the end.
Chapter 13
Los Duraznos
Isabel prays that she will win Queen of May
since she has the highest grades but Esperanza
learns her chances are not high because she is Mexican
and in the end she doesn't win. Miguel's offered job as an
engineer is taken because some Okies said they would work
for less so he ended up digging ditches. Esperanza is angry that Miguel didn't stand up for himself and they both get in a very heated argument. The next day when Mama comes, Miguel is gone, apparently looking for work up north. That night when Esperanza shows Mama all the money orders she saved for Abuelita's travels, the were gone.
Chapter 12
Los Espárragos
The strike has began and it takes
a toll on asparagus season. Dangerous
things like razor blades, rats, and snakes
are being placed in the field bins. All branches
of workers are being abused verbally daily. When
Esperanza visits the hospital to check on Mama one
day and learns that she will be fit to come home in a
week.
Chapter 11
Las Aguacates
When visiting the hospital, the doctor
tells Esperanza that her mother contracted
pneumonia and she cannot visit because of
the risk of outside germs. Esperanza misses
Mama very much and needs money to pay the
burden of bills. After Esperanza lets Marta and
her mother get a ride from her, she see their camp
and learns about the upcoming strike and begin to worry.
She continues working the the sheds and buying money orders to save for Abuelita's travels. Miguel tells her that the strike got him a better job.
Chapter 10
Las Papas
Mama starts refusing food and
the doctor come again and tells
them that she has depression and
needs to go to the hospital. Then
Esperanza starts working in the sheds
with Hortensia and Josefina to earn money
so she can pay Mama's hospital bills and to
bring Abuelita.
Chapter 9
Las Ciruelas
Isabel is going to school and Esperanza is left
to take care of the babies by herself. She accidentally
feeds them raw plums and they get stomach aches, the
result is lots of poop. The next day she is hanging out with Irene and Melina and then there is un tormenta de polvo, a dust storm. When Mama, Hortensia, Josefina, Juan, Miguel and Alfonso come back from their work, they are coughing a lot. Almost all of them stop coughing except for Mama, who never did even after a month. They call a doctor who said that she caught Valley Fever from la tormenta.
Chapter 8
Las Almendras
The jamaica will be soon and Esperanza can't
decide whether to go or not. That night, Alfonso
and Miguel reveal that the secret package was roses
they salvaged from the fire after El Rancho de Las Rosas
burned down. They had plated the roses in a small shrine they had built. The next day when Isabel and her shelling almonds, Esperanza asks why they are doing that and learns that Josefina will be serving almond flan, then she decides that she will go to the jamiaca.
Chapter 7
Las Cebollas
When they arrived to the work camp, everyone
got into one cabin and Esperanza and Ramona had
a small argument. The next morning everyone went
to work except Esperanza and Isabel, who had to watch
the babies. In the afternoon, Esperanza had to sweep the
platform but was humiliated by Marta and the rest of the women in the camp. After Miguel got home from work, he taught Esperanza how to properly sweep.
Chapter 6
Los Melones
After Ramona, Esperanza, Alfonso, Hortensia,
and Miguel reach the border in Mexicali and pass
through, they ride another train to Los Angeles. They
pick up by Alfonso's brother Juan with his wife Josefina
and his children Lupe, Pepe and Isabel. Before they
arrived to Juan's work camp, they pick up a girl
named Marta who quickly becomes enemies with
Esperanza.
Chapter 5
Las Guayabas
After meeting up with Senor Rodrigez, Alfonso,
Hortensia, Miguel, Ramona and Esperanza piled
into a wagon and began traveling to Zacatecas to
catch a train to the Mexican border. Esperanza was
not used to being close to peasants and wasn't used
to the dirty, grimy conditions.
Chapter 4
Las Higos
After El Rancho De Las Rosas was burned
down by Tio Luis, Esperanza and Ramona had
to move into the servant's cabin. Alfonso,
Hortensia, Ramona and Abuelita discussed that
they would all have to move to America to escape Tio
Luis's rath. When Tio Luis came in the morning and asked
a second time if Ramona would marry him, and she said she
would consider it. Then the third time, she said yes and then
they set off on the journey to America that night.
Chapter 3
Las Papayas
Sixto's family all came to his funeral, after that,
Tio Luis and a lawyer came to discuss business about
who would own El Rancho De Las Rosas. At the end of
their discussion, Tio Luis had offered a marriage proposal to Ramona but she said no. He gave them a strong warning and
left.
Chapter 2
Las Uvas: Six years later
At El Rancho De Las Rosas, it was harvest time.
After the 3 week harvest time, Esperanza's birthday
would come. Unfortunately, Esperanza's father was
killed by bandits the day before it.
Chapter 1
Aguascalientes, Mexico 1924
Papa helped Esperanza feel the heartbeat
of the earth.
