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(3.01) - 937 listener ratings
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After Tyler's father is injured in a tractor accident, his family is forced to hire migrant Mexican workers to help save their Vermont farm from foreclosure. Tyler isn’ t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?
In a novel full of hope, but no easy answers, Julia Alvarez weaves a beautiful and timely story that will stay with readers long after they finish it.
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"Main character Tyler is facing the loss of his grandfather, a father who is recovering from an accident, losing his family farm, and the conflict of having undocumented migrant workers working on his farm. Mari also faces her own conflicts. There is no real happy ending in this story, but there is an obvious political message well-integrated into the story. The author did a great job intertwining a wonderful human interest story of friendship, immigration, and life."
— Erika (5 out of 5 stars)
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" The instructor in my writing class recommended I read this because of its way of dealing with migrant worker and immigrant issues. It's told from the perspective of pre-teens in Vermont, but it addresses tough issues (missing mothers, the threat of deportation, the real meaning of patriotism, etc.) and has endearing characters. I was impressed. "
— Ramira, 1/16/2014 -
" A little preachy at times, but its empathy keeps from being propaganda. A great story for young people about the complexity and human side of U.S. immigration policy. "
— Susan, 1/9/2014 -
" Not a bad book. The baseline story is a great idea, but the author's decision to write both point of views in third person was a mistake. I think it keeps readers from emotionally connecting with the main characters. Despite the flaws in the writing, this novel does a fantastic job in finding commonalities within two different cultures and languages. "
— Elle, 12/31/2013 -
" While the kid language gets a bit tiring (the story is written from their point of view), the story is at once inspiring and heart breaking. As a Hispanic I really empathized with the theme and it was a beautiful tale of friendship and understanding. Very enjoyable. "
— Ivette, 12/22/2013 -
" I enjoyed this story. I found myself grappling with the same issues the characters encountered: what's legal versus what's moral. The adolescent narrators were believable and the changing points of view portrayed the emotions of both parties. "
— Christine, 12/9/2013 -
" After Tyler's father is injured, his family his illegal Mexicans to work the farm, bringing along 3 daughters. Tyler learns a lot about people, aliens, and how we all need to get along. Great story! "
— Vicki, 10/17/2013 -
" This was a fantastic book for all audiences to see behind the scenes of immigration. I felt like I was actaully there and it was my family facing some of the struggles. "
— 529_Maggie, 2/25/2013 -
" Awesome book. Multicultural "
— Shannon, 11/22/2011 -
" It's young adult, but it's engrossing young adult literature. "
— Mellisa, 8/28/2011 -
" great story of a Mexican family's journey to the U.S., their time working on a farm in Vermont, and the joy and sadness they endured... "
— Nicole, 2/21/2011 -
" I am sooooo excited to read this!!!!! "
— Naomi, 2/19/2011 -
" I thought about quitting this book about halfway through and now that I've finished it I wish I had. I didn't enjoy the story at all and hated the ending. "
— Jliongrrrl, 2/13/2011
About Julia Alvarez
Julia Alvarez grew up in the Dominican Republic before immigrating to the United States at the age of ten. She now lives in Vermont, where she is a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College, Vermont.
Julia Álvarez vivió su infancia en República Dominicana hasta 1960, cuando emigró a los Estados Unidos. Luego de obtener sus títulos de pregrado y postgrado en literatura y creación literaria, enseñó poesía durante muchos años y publicó su primer libro de poemas, Homecoming, en 1984. Ha recibido becas del Fondo Nacional para las Artes y de la Fundación Ingram Merrill. De cómo las muchachas García perdieron el acento recibió el premio PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles en 1991, que se entrega a obras que presentan un punto de vista multicultural. En la actualidad, enseña literatura inglesa en Middlebury College.
About Ozzie Rodriguez
Ozzie Rodriguez is a narrator, voice artist, and actor of film, television, and the stage, performing in many independent features, such as My Life: Untitled, Escape from South LA, and his co-produced, self-written project Elevator.