Esperanza pensaba que siempre viviría con su familia en su rancho en México, y que siempre tendía hermosos vestidos y una linda casa llena de sirvientes. Pero una tragedia inesperada las obliga a ella y a su madre a escapar a California en la época de la Gran Depresión, y a asentarse en un campamento para trabajadores agrícolas mexicanos. Esperanza no está preparada para el trabajo duro, las penurias económicas o la falta de aceptación que ahora sufre; pero cuando su nueva vida se ve amenazada, deberá buscar la manera de sobreponerse a las dificultades: su vida y la de su madre dependen de ello.
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.
Pam Muñoz Ryan is the recipient of the NEA's Human and Civil Rights Award, the PEN Center USA Award, and the 2024 Children’s Literature Legacy Award for her body of work. She was the 2018 and is the 2026 US nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. She received a Newbery Honor Medal and the Kirkus Prize for her New York Times bestselling novel, Echo. Her other celebrated novels, Esperanza Rising, The Dreamer, Riding Freedom, Becoming Naomi León, Paint the Wind, Mañanaland, and El Niño, have received countless accolades, among them the Pura Belpré Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, and the Américas Award. Her acclaimed picture books include Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride and the Sibert Honor book When Marian Sang, both illustrated by Brian Selznick, Mice and Beans illustrated by Joe Cepeda, and Tony Baloney illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham, as well as a beginning reader series featuring Tony Baloney. Ryan lives near San Diego, California, with her family. Visit Pam at PamMunozRyan.com.