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Under the Feet of Jesus
With the same audacity with which John Steinbeck wrote about migrant worker conditions in The Grapes of Wrath and T.C. Boyle in The Tortilla Curtain, Viramontes (The Moths and Other Stories) presents a moving and powerful vision of the lives of the men, women, and children who endure a second-class existence and labor under dangerous conditions in California's fields.
This first novel tells the story a young girl, Estrella, and her Latino family as they struggle with arduous farm labor during the summer months, and still manage to latch onto the hope of a liberating future. Viramontes graces the page with poetic touch, artfully describing poverty conditions and bringing to the reader a panoramic view of social consciousness and unforgettable characters.
This first novel tells the story a young girl, Estrella, and her Latino family as they struggle with arduous farm labor during the summer months, and still manage to latch onto the hope of a liberating future. Viramontes graces the page with poetic touch, artfully describing poverty conditions and bringing to the reader a panoramic view of social consciousness and unforgettable characters.
180 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
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3277 people want to read
About the author
Helena María Viramontes
20 books92 followersHelena Maria Viramontes (born February 26, 1954) is an American fiction writer and professor of English.
(from Wikipedia)
(from Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 464 reviews
May 3, 2017
My first job after college was teaching high school English in a small, predominately Mexican American town on the border. Several of my students were migrant workers who appeared a little later than the others and left a little earlier, but who nonetheless left a crucial impression upon me as a group of young people who were far worldlier, far better at overcoming linguistic and cultural barriers than I was at their age. Now, I am working my umpteenth job since college as an English professor in West Virginia, and this semester I decided to have my students read Helena María Viramontes's Under the Feet of Jesus, about a family of Mexican/Mexican American farm-workers who struggle to keep hold of their humanity while living in degrading conditions. Unlike my students in Texas, my students here are mostly oblivious to the labors Latina/o immigrants have long completed on massive farms in the western United States, as well as to the fights for rights and dignity that were led by people like César Chávez and Dolores Huerta. Recognized as a classic of Chicana/o literature, this book is one of very few that I know about that bring these experiences to life. This is why I decided to have my students read it, and I do think it opened their eyes to injustices and Civil Rights causes that they had not thought about before.
The main character, Estrella ("Star"), is a thirteen-year-old girl, the oldest of five siblings in a poor, Mexican American family. Through flashbacks the author reveals that Estrella's father abandoned the family a couple of years ago, leaving the mother, Petra, a bundle of nerves and requiring Estrella to step up and take care of her brothers and sisters. Eventually, Petra brings home another man, Perfecto, a handyman who is old enough to be her father and has abandoned his own children, who presumably still live in Mexico. Estrella's relationship with Perfecto is strained. On the one hand, in typical teenager fashion, she refuses to accept him as her stepfather and rails against his efforts to exert his authority over the family. On the other, she learns many useful skills from him, including how to read and how to manipulate the tools in his toolbox. At the start of the novel, the family is moving into a shack on a new farm, going through the process of cleaning and unpacking that is so familiar to them. Estrella meets a slightly older boy, Alejo, and develops feelings for him. In one of the book's most vividly rendered scenes, Alejo is coated in a poisonous pesticide being sprayed several days before it was scheduled. When Alejo falls gravely ill, alone and so far away from home, the family must decide what to do with him. As the characters debate among themselves whether or not they can afford to take in another person who may or may not ever recover from a debilitating illness, the author addresses other issues related to the precarious living conditions of poor farmworkers. At what cost to these poor, marginalized people do the rest of us enjoy our shiny, expensive fruits?
Like I said earlier, the book is a classic, and I appreciate that it introduces readers to class- and race-related struggles that are not frequently covered in typical social studies curricula. In this respect, I think it deserves a full five stars. And yet... I just can't help but wish that it were written differently, more conventionally, even, with clearer distinctions between events taking place in the past and present and less reliance upon symbolism. Sure, Viramontes is a talented author with a right to experiment. But at times this slim, "poetic" book verges on being unreadable, particularly in its crucial first pages. When I read the book several years ago, I was not particularly bothered by the way it was written (as you can see in my initial review of the book, which appears below). But as a teacher trying to lead students unfamiliar with Spanish and the experiences related through it, I became hyper aware of the challenges it poses and not convinced that they were necessary. Anyway, do I regret teaching the book? No. It is a necessary read for everyone, even if it is not a terribly easy or enjoyable one.
Previous Review (2008):
I finished Under the Feet of Jesus just a few minutes ago. And already I am forgetting bits and pieces of the plot. But, really, this book's strength is not its plot. Where Viramontes excels is in her creation of stunning images -- the orange peel that Estrella's father slices for her with his fingernail, the unexpected downpour of pesticide that sheets Alejo while he's in a tree, the semen that slides down Perfecto's leg and evaporates when it hits a hot stone, etc. An interesting if not entirely exceptional piece of Mexican-American literature.
The main character, Estrella ("Star"), is a thirteen-year-old girl, the oldest of five siblings in a poor, Mexican American family. Through flashbacks the author reveals that Estrella's father abandoned the family a couple of years ago, leaving the mother, Petra, a bundle of nerves and requiring Estrella to step up and take care of her brothers and sisters. Eventually, Petra brings home another man, Perfecto, a handyman who is old enough to be her father and has abandoned his own children, who presumably still live in Mexico. Estrella's relationship with Perfecto is strained. On the one hand, in typical teenager fashion, she refuses to accept him as her stepfather and rails against his efforts to exert his authority over the family. On the other, she learns many useful skills from him, including how to read and how to manipulate the tools in his toolbox. At the start of the novel, the family is moving into a shack on a new farm, going through the process of cleaning and unpacking that is so familiar to them. Estrella meets a slightly older boy, Alejo, and develops feelings for him. In one of the book's most vividly rendered scenes, Alejo is coated in a poisonous pesticide being sprayed several days before it was scheduled. When Alejo falls gravely ill, alone and so far away from home, the family must decide what to do with him. As the characters debate among themselves whether or not they can afford to take in another person who may or may not ever recover from a debilitating illness, the author addresses other issues related to the precarious living conditions of poor farmworkers. At what cost to these poor, marginalized people do the rest of us enjoy our shiny, expensive fruits?
Like I said earlier, the book is a classic, and I appreciate that it introduces readers to class- and race-related struggles that are not frequently covered in typical social studies curricula. In this respect, I think it deserves a full five stars. And yet... I just can't help but wish that it were written differently, more conventionally, even, with clearer distinctions between events taking place in the past and present and less reliance upon symbolism. Sure, Viramontes is a talented author with a right to experiment. But at times this slim, "poetic" book verges on being unreadable, particularly in its crucial first pages. When I read the book several years ago, I was not particularly bothered by the way it was written (as you can see in my initial review of the book, which appears below). But as a teacher trying to lead students unfamiliar with Spanish and the experiences related through it, I became hyper aware of the challenges it poses and not convinced that they were necessary. Anyway, do I regret teaching the book? No. It is a necessary read for everyone, even if it is not a terribly easy or enjoyable one.
Previous Review (2008):
I finished Under the Feet of Jesus just a few minutes ago. And already I am forgetting bits and pieces of the plot. But, really, this book's strength is not its plot. Where Viramontes excels is in her creation of stunning images -- the orange peel that Estrella's father slices for her with his fingernail, the unexpected downpour of pesticide that sheets Alejo while he's in a tree, the semen that slides down Perfecto's leg and evaporates when it hits a hot stone, etc. An interesting if not entirely exceptional piece of Mexican-American literature.
August 21, 2009
If you aren't careful you might miss it. If you try to read it fast because it appears to be an easy read you'll do yourself a disservice. If you take the time to roll the lines around in your mouth, to savour them, you'll love this. Perfecto's hands, the peach, maggots and dirt...
If your a fan of Viramontes' short stories you'll not be disappointed in this read. Nothing is lost in the longer format... images are still uncomfortable, characters so close to the surface, line after line beg for a pencil.
If your a fan of Viramontes' short stories you'll not be disappointed in this read. Nothing is lost in the longer format... images are still uncomfortable, characters so close to the surface, line after line beg for a pencil.
November 13, 2016
Ummm so where's the rest of it?
I had to read this for my Women's Studies class and I was actually really excited about it. Until I find out there was no ending. Like what the actual hell? Nothing was resolved and Estrella just climbs up onto a roof while her love interest is dying, her family's in a terrible situation, and the book just ends there.
And so many critics say that this means she gains her power. Excuse me? No.
This book ended and frankly nothing good came of it because there was no reason to just cut the book off there.
The only reason this gets 2 stars was because the writing was gorgeous.
What a disappointment.
I had to read this for my Women's Studies class and I was actually really excited about it. Until I find out there was no ending. Like what the actual hell? Nothing was resolved and Estrella just climbs up onto a roof while her love interest is dying, her family's in a terrible situation, and the book just ends there.
And so many critics say that this means she gains her power. Excuse me? No.
This book ended and frankly nothing good came of it because there was no reason to just cut the book off there.
The only reason this gets 2 stars was because the writing was gorgeous.
What a disappointment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2024
(Whoowie I did it, it meaning hit my reading goal for the year! Roughly 1 week ago it came down to sorting my to-read list my number of pages and seeing which of the shortest ones were on hand at the library).
Oh mama this was sad; but definitely could have been sadder. I appreciate there were still little pockets of joy and humor, especially with the twins. I do have a deep phobia of varicose veins.
Oh mama this was sad; but definitely could have been sadder. I appreciate there were still little pockets of joy and humor, especially with the twins. I do have a deep phobia of varicose veins.
January 29, 2023
after finishing this book, the ending struck a dilemma in me. i'd say it felt unfinished but after some thought, it actually felt much more intentional than that. through a story of the societal lack of recognition of migrant workers forced to work under the disgustingly flawed american agricultural system, viramontes fills this book to the brim with themes of financial, racial, and religious struggle. with estrella sitting on the roof looking at the heavens, it feels like a purposeful nod to the inevitability of her repeating the cycle of her mother and those before her, because, as unfortunate as it is, this is how the world is. it cannot be changed overnight when the such a prejudiced system has been so deeply ingrained in our society. so all she can do is sit; sit on the barn that once gave her hope of a new life, a new life that she has come to accept will never become anything more than just a fantasy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2013
I bought this book while attending the conference "HACIENDO CAMINOS: Mapping the Futures of U.S. Latina/o Literature."
Set against a lush and harsh landscape of the back-breaking work in the "piscas," or picking fields, and the stubborn poverty the hard labor fails to lift, this is a vivid look at the working poor reminiscent of the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck. Still, "Under the Feet of Jesus" has a lyrical voice all its own.
Though told from a number of points of view within a family of migrant workers, the character that shines most is Estrella, or Star, as she's also called. The thirteen year old experiences the stirrings of first love and, when the life of the equally young boy she loves is threatened by his work in the fields, her social consciousness is likewise awakened.
This quick read is less of a page-turner and more of a sensory experience that leaves your ears buzzing from the crop-dusters flying overhead and your skin tingling from the heat of the white-hot sun.
Set against a lush and harsh landscape of the back-breaking work in the "piscas," or picking fields, and the stubborn poverty the hard labor fails to lift, this is a vivid look at the working poor reminiscent of the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck. Still, "Under the Feet of Jesus" has a lyrical voice all its own.
Though told from a number of points of view within a family of migrant workers, the character that shines most is Estrella, or Star, as she's also called. The thirteen year old experiences the stirrings of first love and, when the life of the equally young boy she loves is threatened by his work in the fields, her social consciousness is likewise awakened.
This quick read is less of a page-turner and more of a sensory experience that leaves your ears buzzing from the crop-dusters flying overhead and your skin tingling from the heat of the white-hot sun.
March 14, 2008
Beautiful book on a very current event since the novel is about a family of Mexican migrant workers's hardship. Nothing melodramatic here, just a very moving story.
April 12, 2024
[4.5 stars]
Absolutely beautiful writing. I described it to my professor as "crunchy" and my classmates agreed — the descriptions are vivid and palpable, just beautiful. I aspire to write such beautiful imagery.
Although the story features a distinct lack of quotation marks, it was something I was able to get used to after a while. Unlike in my review of Normal People where I list it as something I found intolerable, that was mostly because she would feature multiple characters talking in a single paragraph and it drove me nuts. Here, Viramontes provides a "—" when a new character talks and there aren't tags such as "she said" to identify that, making the reading process easier than NP.
This would have been a 5 star read if the ending hadn't been so abrupt. I felt deeply unsatisfied, since, this is a coming-of-age novel, we covered such little ground in Estrella's life and so many parts remained unclear. I wish we had gotten to see more growth and explore how she processes the hardships her family is undergoing at the book's conclusion. It felt like it ended at the climax.
Absolutely beautiful writing. I described it to my professor as "crunchy" and my classmates agreed — the descriptions are vivid and palpable, just beautiful. I aspire to write such beautiful imagery.
Although the story features a distinct lack of quotation marks, it was something I was able to get used to after a while. Unlike in my review of Normal People where I list it as something I found intolerable, that was mostly because she would feature multiple characters talking in a single paragraph and it drove me nuts. Here, Viramontes provides a "—" when a new character talks and there aren't tags such as "she said" to identify that, making the reading process easier than NP.
This would have been a 5 star read if the ending hadn't been so abrupt. I felt deeply unsatisfied, since, this is a coming-of-age novel, we covered such little ground in Estrella's life and so many parts remained unclear. I wish we had gotten to see more growth and explore how she processes the hardships her family is undergoing at the book's conclusion. It felt like it ended at the climax.
October 14, 2023
Me gustó mucho. Es una historia muy triste que muestra la crudeza y lo difícil que es el trabajo de piscis or en Estados Unidos. Lo recomiendo para las personas que quieren comprender un poco más como es la situación de trabajo en el campo para los latinos. También, el estilo de la autora me parece bello y tiene metáforas bastante fuertes. No esperaba mucho del libro cuando lo empecé pero me sorprendió gratamente.
March 31, 2025
I didn’t really enjoy this book because I just found it boring at times to read. As an Ap Literature student there also wasn’t a lot of clear story telling and the povs got switched to often with no clear indication until your left confused.
September 12, 2024
okay girl go on ahead and don’t finish any of your plot threads !!!!
[read for engl 200]
[read for engl 200]
October 22, 2024
I read this as an assignment in a Lit class, never expecting this book to hit me as hard as it did. What a wonderfully, beautiful, gut-wrenching, thought-provoking story that Viramontes has painted.
March 13, 2025
I’m confused after finishing this. It felt like I just read half of a book, like the ending would be a good midpoint. Maybe it’s just really dense and I didn’t understand how it was a complete story; we’ll see if my opinion changes when I go over it in class.
February 25, 2025
Rating: 4/5 stars
~
I wish to do a master's class on the crowbar scene and then scream into the void.
~
*For American Outsiders studies
~
I wish to do a master's class on the crowbar scene and then scream into the void.
~
*For American Outsiders studies
Read
May 8, 2025Sparked some lovely conversations in my AP lit class :))
Definitely similar vibe to Mango Street but it makes sense because the author of this one was a student of Cisneros'!
Definitely similar vibe to Mango Street but it makes sense because the author of this one was a student of Cisneros'!
March 21, 2008
Author: Helena Maria Viramontes
Title: Under the Feet of Jesus
Genre: coming-of-age novel
Publication Info: Penguin Group, New York, 1995
Recommended Age: 15 and older
Plot Summary: Thirteen-year-old Estrella is the oldest of the children in her family. She is the only one capable of helping her mother support everyone by working in the fields of California. They were abandoned by their father years before, so their mother got remarried, unfortunately to a man 40 years older and nearly too old to work or care for the family. Estrella matures physically and emotionally. She falls in love with another migrant worker named Alejo. One day, Alejo is accidentally sprayed with pesticide by a crop duster and subsequently becomes very sick. As the farmers were ready to leave him to die, Estrella’s family takes him in, but has no money to get him the medical attention he needs. After so much hardship, Estrella begins to see that she must rely on her own strength and ambition rather than on her family or on God or religion.
Personal Notes: There is a lot of imagery, symbolism, and use of metaphors in this novel. Almost every object within the book can be connected to something else on a larger scheme. Even the characters’ names have deeper meaning. Estrella means “star,” Perfecto means “job well done,” and Petra means “rock.” As the family is Hispanic, there are a lot of phrases in the book that are written in Spanish, with no translation provided. Swear words also appear frequently. There is a lot of potential for class study and discussion. The novel delves into such issues as love, poverty, healthcare, adolescence, familial relationships, broken homes, prejudice, language barriers, and immigration. I would not read this book with an immature class.
Evaluation: The story leaves us hanging at the end. We are not told the outcome, which is unusual. It allows the reader to choose whether things worked out for Estrella and her family or if Alejo dies and Perfecto leaves. Some may think it is hopeful, others may think it is very dark. The story may be compared to The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
Other Comments: This book really opens eyes to the fact that migrant workers and Mexicans in general are taken advantage of and treated unfairly. It also shows that we have a choice as to how we will react when we face insurmountable bleakness and hardship. It brings to question the American experiment, and whether or not we truly welcome the melting pot in our country. It should remind us that each life has worth and value, no matter what the circumstances are.
Title: Under the Feet of Jesus
Genre: coming-of-age novel
Publication Info: Penguin Group, New York, 1995
Recommended Age: 15 and older
Plot Summary: Thirteen-year-old Estrella is the oldest of the children in her family. She is the only one capable of helping her mother support everyone by working in the fields of California. They were abandoned by their father years before, so their mother got remarried, unfortunately to a man 40 years older and nearly too old to work or care for the family. Estrella matures physically and emotionally. She falls in love with another migrant worker named Alejo. One day, Alejo is accidentally sprayed with pesticide by a crop duster and subsequently becomes very sick. As the farmers were ready to leave him to die, Estrella’s family takes him in, but has no money to get him the medical attention he needs. After so much hardship, Estrella begins to see that she must rely on her own strength and ambition rather than on her family or on God or religion.
Personal Notes: There is a lot of imagery, symbolism, and use of metaphors in this novel. Almost every object within the book can be connected to something else on a larger scheme. Even the characters’ names have deeper meaning. Estrella means “star,” Perfecto means “job well done,” and Petra means “rock.” As the family is Hispanic, there are a lot of phrases in the book that are written in Spanish, with no translation provided. Swear words also appear frequently. There is a lot of potential for class study and discussion. The novel delves into such issues as love, poverty, healthcare, adolescence, familial relationships, broken homes, prejudice, language barriers, and immigration. I would not read this book with an immature class.
Evaluation: The story leaves us hanging at the end. We are not told the outcome, which is unusual. It allows the reader to choose whether things worked out for Estrella and her family or if Alejo dies and Perfecto leaves. Some may think it is hopeful, others may think it is very dark. The story may be compared to The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
Other Comments: This book really opens eyes to the fact that migrant workers and Mexicans in general are taken advantage of and treated unfairly. It also shows that we have a choice as to how we will react when we face insurmountable bleakness and hardship. It brings to question the American experiment, and whether or not we truly welcome the melting pot in our country. It should remind us that each life has worth and value, no matter what the circumstances are.
October 29, 2020
This book choice came from seeing a passage from it on an AP Lit practice exercise...don’t let that scare you off! But I will say that it is definitely one of those books that make you think and analyze as you figure out what’s going on. Under the Feet of Jesus is a non-linear plot line which will scare some of you off right there; however, the themes and ideas are so timely and relevant and heartbreaking that I must recommend it. The novel is set in California and focuses on migrant farm workers - and not a victorious picture that is displayed. Estrella, a teen aged girl and arguably the protagonist, learns much about herself, love, family, loyalty, and the real world that often chooses to reject her and people like her. There are themes of environmental justice, the dangerous migrant life, and basic human rights told in a poetic, lyrical style filled with description (a little like Steinbeck, but better...yep I said it!) that takes you into the world Estrella and her family are in trying to survive. Lots of imagery, symbolism, and metaphors...one of the most difficult scenes I found was reading about another teenager in the novel, Alejo, who is also a migrant worker trying to save up enough money to get his education (which he says often). In this scene, he doesn’t escape/hide in time to avoid being doused by pesticides when the owners of the fields spray them...the harsh reminder/reality that this happens all to often to hard working people. So much more packed in this relatively short novel - about 180 pages. Def recommend - def recommend for my English teacher folks.
February 6, 2024
Wow, wow, WOW! I think I have found the book to now call my new favorite book. Helena María Viramontes's Under the Feet of Jesus is a true masterpiece. I'm sitting here, writing, in TEARS because of this ending. If I trusted Ms. U with book choices, then, imagine how I am feeling now! Where to begin? Viramontes' prose is beyond beautiful, but it is inspiring. While it can be difficult to decipher, the messages that are interwoven (almost like a doily) in the subtext, leave me in awe. This book feels like home to me, as I read it and saw myself in parts of it, and learned more about things I didn't know. Estrella is a representation that is larger than life, representing all of the children who had to grow up at a young age because of their circumstances. The novel is a heartbreak reality, too, of the environmental racism and fear that is instilled in so many minorities communities (both backed by science, and Viramontes' prose) that seems to fall straight off the page. The ending is more open than other endings, because that is the whole reality behind it. Viramontes argues that no matter what the day brings today, tomorrow is a reset, and yet the same system. That won't really make sense until you read it, so please do!
January 14, 2015
This book was very hard for me to rate. I wanted to rate it a one and I wanted to rate it a five. The writing is beautiful and the only way you can do it any justice is by reading it slowly. The plot was...well, was there a plot? Maybe towards the end? Which was why I almost rated it a one. That along with the fact that it abruptly ends without more explanation. I want to be one of those deep people who like books that end illusively, but I'm just not. I like to know what happens to the characters I invest my time in.
I so deeply wanted to love this book. My mom and dad both grew up working in the fields and my grandma used to work for the migrant counsel when Cesar Chavez was making his big move to better the working environment for the people. This book, however, lacked the information of the injustice these people faced. It more just skimmed the top of it. I give it a 5 for the writing and a 1 for the plot/ending. If you like books that read like poetry and make you think for days after you finish, you'll like this book.
I so deeply wanted to love this book. My mom and dad both grew up working in the fields and my grandma used to work for the migrant counsel when Cesar Chavez was making his big move to better the working environment for the people. This book, however, lacked the information of the injustice these people faced. It more just skimmed the top of it. I give it a 5 for the writing and a 1 for the plot/ending. If you like books that read like poetry and make you think for days after you finish, you'll like this book.
February 23, 2021
This book really makes you think about the social injustices that are present in the lives of migrant workers. The beautiful writing and sensitive characters create an open world for anyone to look into and wonder about the painful world that lies under our noses, in the food we eat, and the cost of it all. Viramontes blends words that elicit pain, love, and sympathy. Its as if the author takes hold of the big, injured heart that is our country, the people who feed it, the ones who are treated as irrelevant, and begs us to see and to feel their pain, their love, their human flesh. Even though I hate how short it was, I understood the meaning of the ending that cuts off the foretelling of an everlasting reality in the true world.
May 6, 2022
I really loved the poetry in this book, but it often times came off as tiresome instead of artful, especially when you get to ridiculous descriptions of the "cucumber smell" of a woman's genitals, or the bizarre alliteration of "bulbous buttocks bobbing." It also felt like the book ended too soon, as if there was much more to be resolved. This isn't something I hate in a book, but I did feel dissatisfied because I really believed the book was going to end on a meaningful note. I think this would have fared better as a short story, or as a couple of sets of poems. I adored Viramontes' usage of motifs to show Estrella's progression as she matures throughout the book, but some fell flat as the book ended so quickly. So many questions are left with the reader, and not in a good way :(
3.5/5
3.5/5
June 17, 2024
“He had given this country his all, and in this land that used his bones for kindling, in this land that never once in the thirty years he lived and worked, never once said thank you…”
A gut punch of a novel that you can’t look away from. Viramontes paints a startling portrait of the United States — one that is so familiar to some and completely unimaginable to others.
Imagine having pesticides sprayed on you because the landowners couldn’t be bothered to clear out their workers first or putting back groceries that cost less than $2 because they’re too expensive and won’t stretch enough to feed five children.
Heart-wrenching, beautifully written, and should be essential reading to teach empathy between social and economic classes.
A gut punch of a novel that you can’t look away from. Viramontes paints a startling portrait of the United States — one that is so familiar to some and completely unimaginable to others.
Imagine having pesticides sprayed on you because the landowners couldn’t be bothered to clear out their workers first or putting back groceries that cost less than $2 because they’re too expensive and won’t stretch enough to feed five children.
Heart-wrenching, beautifully written, and should be essential reading to teach empathy between social and economic classes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2013
Well, it is not the most subtle of books. The symbolism (tar pit, barn, peaches, got it) is pretty straightforward and the names hit you over the head (Star, Perfecto, got it) are pretty straightforward, too. But it was a lovely read, and it picks up after part two. I may teach this with Steinbeck. Hello political books.
August 4, 2009
It is completely beyond me why my English Teacher chose this horrendous book for the class to read. It was pointless and stupid and made no sense!
I think this is one of my least favorite books of all time. CONGRATULATIONS
August 23, 2008
SO slow going tho! My goodness!
April 3, 2023
To begin, I had heard about this book NUMEROUS times from BookTube and BookTok. From what I gathered, I expected this book to be a intense, profound story about immigrants in America. After reading close to three quarters of this book, I started getting slightly annoyed because of the lack of plot.
The writing style in the book is very enjoyable and unique, but I found the actual story telling very reminiscent of listening to a toddler rambling. Kinda like they are telling a story but the story is leading
nowhere?
The dynamic between Petra and Perfecto was unique and slightly confusing. It took me a while to realize what their relationship was and at that point I was extremely confused. I understand that age is just a number but that is an very, VERY large age-gap.
On a lighter note, the relationship between Estrella and Alejo is very young and naïve. It’s refreshing to read the more realistic parts of early-teen crushes. The awkwardness is visible but not cringy.
The portion of the story involving Maxine kinda feels unnecessary. I can acknowledge how it hints to Estrella the relationship between Petra and Perfecto but doesn’t have a lasting impression. I feel that the story would have been just the same without that portion.
The ending of the story really is what topped it off for me. It felt rushed and unfinished. There was no closure for Estrella and Alejo. She leaves him at the hospital and doesn’t know if she will see him alive ever again. And that’s that?
Additionally, there is lots of symbolism suggesting that Perfecto is nearing the end of his life (i.e. dead bugs around him, homesickness, and memory loss). However, we never find out what his end is.
Finally, Estrella literally robbed the clinic nurse and we never find out if the nurse called the cops or anything!
In the end, this was a good book, but I probably won’t recommend it to many people. If I could have, I would have rated it a 2.5/5. This is because although it wasn’t my favorite, I did not dislike it. It’s captivating, but has an unsatisfactory ending.
The writing style in the book is very enjoyable and unique, but I found the actual story telling very reminiscent of listening to a toddler rambling. Kinda like they are telling a story but the story is leading
nowhere?
The dynamic between Petra and Perfecto was unique and slightly confusing. It took me a while to realize what their relationship was and at that point I was extremely confused. I understand that age is just a number but that is an very, VERY large age-gap.
On a lighter note, the relationship between Estrella and Alejo is very young and naïve. It’s refreshing to read the more realistic parts of early-teen crushes. The awkwardness is visible but not cringy.
The portion of the story involving Maxine kinda feels unnecessary. I can acknowledge how it hints to Estrella the relationship between Petra and Perfecto but doesn’t have a lasting impression. I feel that the story would have been just the same without that portion.
The ending of the story really is what topped it off for me. It felt rushed and unfinished. There was no closure for Estrella and Alejo. She leaves him at the hospital and doesn’t know if she will see him alive ever again. And that’s that?
Additionally, there is lots of symbolism suggesting that Perfecto is nearing the end of his life (i.e. dead bugs around him, homesickness, and memory loss). However, we never find out what his end is.
Finally, Estrella literally robbed the clinic nurse and we never find out if the nurse called the cops or anything!
In the end, this was a good book, but I probably won’t recommend it to many people. If I could have, I would have rated it a 2.5/5. This is because although it wasn’t my favorite, I did not dislike it. It’s captivating, but has an unsatisfactory ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2024
i picked this book up for a book club and was especially drawn to it because it takes place in california's central valley--a landscape that is near and dear to my heart. UNDER THE FEET OF JESUS captures the unrelenting dry heat of the valley and its contradictions as a site of rich farmland where the wealth reaped by the hands of farmworkers never makes it back to them. the book's protagonist, estrella, and her family are unable to even buy fresh foods despite their pivotal role in its production. in fact, their lives are upended when estrella's love interest, alejo, becomes deathly ill from pesticides.
UNDER THE FEET OF JESUS explores so much in its 180 pages: what it means to be poor and the eldest daughter in a struggling family all while navigating growing into womanhood, the challenges of being a single mother attempting to scrape by, and the compounding impacts of racism, xenophobia, and classism against the most vulnerable (and valuable) laborers in the country.
when i first started reading the book, i would sometimes get tripped up by how descriptive the language is. i would get lost in all of the similes, and sometimes the author would describe the same scene from the different perspectives of her cast of characters to the point that i would be thrown off by the jumping around. however, once i got into the groove of this book, i was better able to distinguish which characters we were following and when.
this is definitely a central valley classic and pairs nicely with GORDO by jaime cortez!
UNDER THE FEET OF JESUS explores so much in its 180 pages: what it means to be poor and the eldest daughter in a struggling family all while navigating growing into womanhood, the challenges of being a single mother attempting to scrape by, and the compounding impacts of racism, xenophobia, and classism against the most vulnerable (and valuable) laborers in the country.
when i first started reading the book, i would sometimes get tripped up by how descriptive the language is. i would get lost in all of the similes, and sometimes the author would describe the same scene from the different perspectives of her cast of characters to the point that i would be thrown off by the jumping around. however, once i got into the groove of this book, i was better able to distinguish which characters we were following and when.
this is definitely a central valley classic and pairs nicely with GORDO by jaime cortez!
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