Francisco Jim├®nez writes of his childhood growing up in an immigrant Mexican family. His narrative is simple, as from a child's point of view, but that same simplicity packs the power of a highly skilled storyteller. Beautifully and authentically rendered by actor and playwright Adrian Vargas, these twelve stories tell of the almost unendurable journey most migrant campesinos undertake to find the American Dream. The recording concludes with an afterword recorded by the author.
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“This wonderful book deserves every one of the four awards it has garnered. Jimenez perfectly portrays an immi-grant child's view of leaving Mexico for California to pursue a better life. The very hard times of the late 1940s are presented without sentiment or melodrama, both by Jimenez and Adrian Vargas. The narrator convincingly takes the listener back in time with a range of accents and ages. He also presents several short musical interludes. The best treat is an afterward presented by the author. Listeners of all ages should enjoy this bittersweet memoir and learn from it.”
— AudioFile
“Highly recommended for both pleasure listening and for classroom use and discussion.”
— School Library Journal (audio review)“Vargas’s narration offers an authentic and strong Mexican voice. Highly recommended for all collections and bookstores.”
— Publishers Weekly (audio review)Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Francisco Jiménez emigrated from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, to California, where he worked for many years in the fields with his family. He received both his master’s degree and his PhD from Columbia University and is now chairman of the Modern Languages and Literature Department at Santa Clara University. He is the award-winning author of The Circuit, Breaking Through, La Mariposa, and others. He lives in Santa Clara, California, with his family.