Riches to Rags.

                                                        

   

                      Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan features the young and beautiful Esperanza living with her family in Mexico. They are quite wealthy and Esperanza lives the life of a princess, receiving everything she could need or want. But horrible tragedy strikes! They are thrown into poverty and forced to leave Mexico. Having lost everything, Esperanza begins a harsh, new life in America which teaches her care for herself and others.

History:
      Pam Munoz Ryan grew up in Bakersfield, California. As a child, she read dozens upon dozens of books that took her into many different worlds. As an adult she became a language teacher, but later stepped out to raise her children at home. A few years went by and she began pursuing a master degree and one of her professors began encouraging her to write. She began by co-authoring an adult novel with a friend then she went into writing children stories.
           Her children have long grown, she's an author full time, and lives with her husband in San Diego county, California.

My Thoughts:
For me, this book came along when my sister introduced it to me. She read it and said that some day I should. Eventually she bought me a copy of my own. At that point, I wasn't much of a reader, but I started reading just the same and I was pleasantly surprised at how interested I was in the story. Descriptions  of Mexico and the rising conflict pulled me in with ease. For me, it was a story of beating the odds despite difficulties and cruel injustice. Its a relatable tale  because on a down day you can look back on Esperanza and her family and how they persevered through tough times. Its a heartwarming, unique read.