End of Esperanza

[Becky]

We have seen Esperanza grow through this book. She has gone from the child who was always cared for to the young woman who can step up and take care of things when she needs to.
How did you feel when she noticed that her money orders were missing? Did you also jump right to Miguel as having them?
What would your reaction have been seeing Abuelita get off the bus?
Do you think life will come back to a place where Esperanza is comfortable with where she is?
Any other thoughts you want to share about the ending of this story?

[Anita]

She was upset that her money orders were missing. She got angry when she realized it had to be Miguel who took them. I thought the same thing Esperanza did. He had to have been the one. He left very abruptly.
I would have crumbled with joy and tears seeing my grandmother who I had missed and needed get off the bus. I would have been in shock.
I think by the end of the book with her family complete and adding many more to her "family," Esperanza is comfortable with where she is. It was great that she was able to "hear' the earth again.
I would have like to seen Esperanza and Miguel a few years down the road getting married and able to afford a small home together. Living where both of their families are nearby.

[Becky]

Anita wrote: "She was upset that her money orders were missing. She got angry when she realized it had to be Miguel who took them. I thought the same thing Esperanza did. He had to have been the one. He left ver..."

Did you read the author's notes? This helps understand where the story came from and gives some good information about the field workers in the valleys of southern California.

[Tescha]

Esperanza grew throughout this entire book. She was born into wealth and through misfortune she was forced to change into a different person. Esperanza was able to step up and take care of her family when she needed to do it. She worked, cleaned, and cooked. When I found out that her Esperanza's money orders were missing I was devastated. She worked so hard to earn money for her mom and grandmother so they could have a better life. A life that they so desired. I did not think Miguel had them. He was so good to her throughout this entire book. I felt that through his actions he cared for her deeply and that they had been through so much and shared many emotions both good and bad. My reaction to seeing Abuelita getting off of the bus would have been very emotional. Tears of happiness would have filled my eyes. I do think that life will came back to a place where she is comfortable with where she is. Esperanza has her family and that is all she ever needed. I loved the end of the book but I wanted to know more about how her life played out. I am wondering, if she married Miguel? Did she continue working in the fields with her family? Was Abuelita able to withdraw her family money? What happened to the uncles? Did justice ever come to them? I have a lot of wonderings.

[Katie]

I felt sorry for Esperanza when she saw that the money orders were gone because she had worked so hard to save them. This was her contribution to her family. When she instantly thought Miguel took them, I blindly followed her thinking as the reader. But it did seem to add up that he took them, but I figured it was for a new life for himself.
I would have been in disbelief at the sight of seeing Abuelita. It had been so long, and she was starting to lose hope. I have liked Miguel from the beginning, but now I really love his character. He has always loved Esperanza, and this was his way to really show her.
Now that Esperanza has her family back together and she was able to feel the earth, I think she has found her happiness there.
I really enjoyed this story. I would like a follow up story as to where the families ended up and how each character grows. I want to see Esperanza's life now that her mother and Abuelita are all back together.

[Rose]

My heart dropped when Esperanza realized that her money orders were missing. She had worked so hard earning that money. I did think that Miguel took the money since he left in such a hurry. I didn't understand why he took it but as I read on I did come to the conclusion that he was going to help bring Abuelita to Esperanza. I was so happy to see Mama get better and be reunited with Esperanza as well. When Abuelita came off the bus I was so happy that everyone was brought back together. What a surreal moment for them. I do think that Esperanza is comfortable with where she is especially since her family is back together. She was able to hear the Earth again which I think means she has come to peace with her life. I am also curious if Esperanza and Miguel end up getting married. It was interesting to read the author's notes and see why Pam Munoz Ryan wrote this story.

[Patricia]

I was floored when the money orders were gone, but knew that Miguel was the one who took them. I thought he took them to find a better job to help support the family and himself. The bus ride threw me for a loop, but as I read, I began to understand what was going to happen. He wanted to prove to Esperanza how much she meant to him and help her as much as he could, was my first thought, until he explained that since he was out of work for a bit, he could go and get Abuelita. It was a beautiful scene for the reuniting of Abuelita and Ramona. It was very tender and heartfelt. I feel that Esperanza grew and matured throughout the book, as that was one of the purposes of the author. Esperanza rose above the hardships and finally overcame them. She met her goal of reuniting everyone once again. I was hoping that in the end that Miguel and Esperanza court and get engaged. I realize she is still young, but they truly care for each other. As I read the author's notes about the inspiration for writing this book, I can only assume that Esperanza's husband was in fact Miguel in the story, but told with a different twist to engage the reader with more of the challenges these workers faced as they migrated from Mexico and other areas to find work in that time period. This was a fantastic book and I really enjoyed it!

[Sarah]

My heart sank when she went to get the money orders and found that they were missing. She had truly learned what hard work really was and that money meant the world to her. Her only goals for working hard and earning money was to pay for Mama’s medical care and to bring Abuelita to them in California. To discover it was missing was such a blow so quickly after the elation she was feeling now that Mama had returned home. At first, I did not think that Miguel was the one that took the money orders—just that they had simply been stolen. Mama handled it with grace when she said that he must have really needed them. Miguel and his family had always seemed to hold such a fondness for Esperanza and her family that it just didn’t seem in his character. Of course, knowing that he took it so that he could bring Abuelita to California was the perfect ending and spoke leaps and bounds about him as a person and his affection toward Esperanza. I would have stood in disbelief as Abuelita stepped off of the bus and then been overcome with joy! So many things that Miguel did made him such a loveable character in this book, but bringing Abuelita to California without anyone’s knowledge took the cake! I think that life is coming together for Esperanza she is finding her new “normal”. She has really grown up, now feels the heartbeat of the Earth, and has her family back together.

I loved reading the author’s note at the end of the book. Munoz Ryan shares some of the “real life” story behind “Esperanza Rising”. To know that the basis of the story came from that of her great-grandparents Sixto Ortega and Ramona who had a ranch in Aguascalientes, Mexico and were forced to immigrate to California made the story even better for me. I loved that Munoz Ryan included that “esperanza” means “hope”. What a fitting title for this story!

[Joan]

I think she is definitely starting to get comfortable of where she is at. She changed so much throughout the book and really started to realize what was the most important. It wasn’t having money and servants but it was having her mother healthy and her grandmother back with them. Another excellent book!! I am really enjoying this author so much!

[Carla]

Naturally, it was devastating for Esperanza when she realized her money orders were taken by Miguel. I did think he would use them to better himself, never expecting him to bring Abuelita to California. I was obviously pleasantly surprised when Miguel shows us with Abuelita and glad to have a happy ending.

I felt the author's notes were helpful, and I enjoyed another book by Munoz Ryan.

[Tami]

It was a bitter sweet ending for me. While she did get her grandmother and mother back. She is still living a life she might have only seen in a nightmare as a child. I wish there would have been some comfort knowing her uncles got away with being so horrible. I need to remember not all stories have a fairy tale ending.

It was a great book of a life that a lot of people have probably lived as they come to America to get away from hardships.

[Candace]

I wasn't disappointed that Miguel had taken the money orders, and I didn't expect that he used them to get Esperanza's grandmother. I had mixed emotions about her arriving at camp. On one hand, it was great to see the three women reunited, but on the other I couldn't help but question if this was the right environment for grandmother. She is getting older and weaker and the camp is a hard place to live. She'll be too old to work, so it will be another mouth to feed for the rest of the family members.

Although Esperanza's life will never be the same, it seems like she has fallen into a new sense of "normal." I would have love to have seen the book end with her going back and taking the ranch from her greedy uncles!

[Laurie]

I was so sad when her money orders were gone! I thought of Miguel right away, but I didn't think he could have done that, so I was trying to think of who else would have taken it. Some of my students thought that maybe Marta had come in and taken it. So it was surprising to find out that it actually was Miguel, but what an awesome thing he did for Esperanza and her family. It saved Esperanza a lot of work and stress, and got Abuelita to them much faster. I can imagine Esperanza was surprised, overjoyed, and relieved to have Abuelita back with the family, especially since her mother had been so sick and she had taken on so much responsibility.
I loved her vision of floating above the ground after hearing the heartbeat of the Earth again and how things ended up with Miguel. Esperanza is content in her new life now. She has realized what is important, which is being surrounded by family and friends whom you love and who love you, who all work together towards a common purpose, where everyone is on the same side of the river. I thought it had great closure at the end, and what a great novel to study how characters change over time.

[Marlene]

When Esperanza found the money orders missing, I was truly disappointed that someone would take them. I didn't think Miguel was the one who took them because he was so fond of Esperanza even if they originally from opposite sides of the river. I couldn't picture him hurting her that way. In the end, I was wrong. I thought it was very sweet of him to reunite Abuelita with her family. I thought that showed how deep his feelings ran for Esperanza and her family.
Personally, I would have loved to have seen Esperanza's face when Abuelita stepped off of the bus. I'm sure there were many emotions such as shock, disbelief, love, joy, and relief. I am sure the trip was not an easy one for Abuelita. To me that shows the love and perseverance that she had for her family. She wanted to be reunited with her family and she finally was. The one thing we don't know, is how long she lived in the United States.
I think Esperanza will grow and mature and rise above her current circumstances. She has learned some lifelong lessons that I think will help her get ahead in the world.

[Janel]

When the money orders went missing I knew right away that it was Miguel and I had a feeling he was going to use them to get her grandmother. He had to much love for Esperanza to have stolen them. I also believe that he was a very honest person. I felt aweful for the people who came to America during this time. I know that Esperanza and her mother never had any clue as to how hard life would be when they left Mexico. They took a huge leap of faith to have done this and have grown so much through the challenges. I do believe that eventually Esperanza and her family will come out of hard times and have the life they deserved. I do wish that Miguel and Esperanza would get married. It seemed as if they were soul mates from the beginning... I did read the acknowledgements at the end and found them to really help put the whole story into perspective. I really enjoyed reading Pam Munoz's books. She is a great author and really tugs at the heart.

[Jennifer]

My heart dropped for Esperanza when she noticed her money orders were missing. It seemed suspicious that Miguel left and the money orders were missing, especially after the fight between Esperanza and Miguel. I was happy to see that Miguel went and got Abuelita to bring her to California for Ramona and Esperanza. Throughout the book, Esperanza went through a lot of changes and life experiences. At the end of the book, I feel like she is in a place where she accepts her life and is truly happy. She is surrounded by her family, has the roses from Papa, and was able to feel the heartbeat of the earth again.
I enjoyed this book and found myself not wanting to put it down. The author’s notes at the end of the story were interesting to read. I think it added to the book and story as to why Ryan wrote it.

[Julia]

When I first read about her money orders gone missing, I felt that there must be some explanation as to why they are gone. I was feeling bad for her, but I still had hope that something good would happen. I had a feeling Miguel did something with them, but throughout the book, we are reminded of Miguel's kind heart and I did not think he would steal them out of hate. I would have been overjoyed to see Abuelita coming off the bus. So many emotions would have been going through my mind. I don't think life would ever go back to the way it once was in Mexico, but I think a new normal will be established and Esperanza will be thriving. I think this book was a fun read. I was often comparing it to "Echo" and it would be a good classroom activity to compare and contrast the two books.

[Andrea]

I had mixed feelings about the missing money. I thought Miguel took it, but then I thought it could have been a random robbery. I was devastated to know that she didn't have the money to go get her Abuelita and had to start all over. However, I was so joyful when I read when she got off the bus and was happy for Esperanza. I think it really opened my eyes to that time period and how hard it was for the Mexican immigrants working in the US. I loved how Ryan showed how Esperanza grew as a character and how the story left with some hope! I think the Esperanza will get back to a place where her life is good and comfortable.

[Kara]

I felt upset when I found out the money orders were missing, but I also trusted that Miguel had a good reason for taking it although his name didn't come to mind right away as the person who would have stolen the money. I was so glad to find out that Miguel went back to get Abuelita. It definitely was a touching moment to see her get off the bus and have the whole family back together again. What a wonderful part of the story! I think Esparanza will absolutely be comfortable with where she is at again. She is already seeming to be comfortable. I think she will be happy with where she is at as long as her family is with her. The story was very well written and I loved seeing how Esparanza's character grew and matured. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Jennifer]

Esperanza has grown so much in a short time. I was shocked that the money orders were gone, but knew Miguel wouldn’t do something to hurt Esperanza. Through it all, he’s had a love for her and her family that would outlast all of their hardships. By this time in the book, I had forgotten about Abuelita. Suddenly, the main focus was for Mama. I would have fallen to the ground sobbing when I saw her. He has brought her a gift like no other. The bond that Miguel and Esperanza have shared is real love. At the beginning, “Our land is alive”, her father told her. A piece of the vineyard was brought from their ranch to their new life. The heartbeat is felt now, the land is alive. ‘He who falls today may rise tomorrow’. Esperanza Rising is the perfect name for this book. Her life means more now than in Mexico. She will never take anything or anyone for granted, again. Miguel and Esperanza are on the same side of the river and nothing shall keep them apart. This was a tragic, yet beautiful story. Through the struggles and rising up, she really learned to live.

[Kyrie]

I was irate when I found out that her money orders were gone. I assumed it was Miguel, but I was torn as to why he did it. I knew he cared deeply for her and had impressive character. I wasn't quite sure what he had planned.
My heart was overjoyed to see Abuelita. I love the ending and am thankful that Esperanze has all that she needs to be happy once again.

[Molly]

It was amazing to see how much she grew in the coarse of the book. She overcame some tremendous challenges. I felt very badly for her when the money orders had disappeared. I loved the moment when everyone was together again! That was my favorite part in the book. The ending wrapped up the story nicely and I felt that I, as a reader, had a full circle out of the story.

[Erin]

I thought the story ended rather abruptly. It was a great ending, but I was really surprised at how quickly it came.

I was so sad about the last interaction between Esperanza and Miguel. We all say things that sound so harsh when that may or may not have meant as it came, but we can't take back the hurt. So when Miguel was gone the next morning my heart broke for her. Then I was so shocked and hurt that it appeared Miguel took her money. I thought he also had done something that was going to be very hard to make repercussions for.

I couldn't imagine how the outcome of this was going to be, so when Miguel showed up with Abuelita I was very happy. He didn't steal her money for nefarious purposes and he didn't hold a grudge for her thoughtless comments. He was still looking out for her.
I know that Miguel is a little older than Esperanza, but I hope for the fairy tale ending. I'd love to read a sequel where they get together and get out of the squalor conditions they are living in. They all need to be happy again.

[Brenda]

I felt very bad for Esperanza when she found her money orders missing. She had worked very hard to make the money and then she was wise enough to get money orders to save to get Abuelita there with them I figured out right away that Miguel had taken them because he left in a hurry. How else would he have gotten money that quickly for a trip. I had not figured out that he was going to bring Abuelita back though.
I would have been surprised and shocked if I had seen Abuelita get off of the bus. I probably would have gotten emotional in this situation. I was surprised to read it in the book.
I think that Esperanza will keep adjusting to her new life. She has learned many new things and she keeps trying to do things that benefit others. She has come to understand that helping and doing things for others is very important; she understands that you have to work together to achieve things. Her mom is now home from the hospital and getting stronger. Abuelita is now there with her too, so she has family. She was also able to connect with her father on her birthday by feeling the earth beating. She also had this memory of her life from before and it was like she was floating through it.
I was glad that she was able to have Abuelita there with her. I was also glad that her mother got better and could come home. I was very impressed that she gave her porcelain doll to Isabel, because this was Espeanza's most treasured possession that she had left from her father. I also like how it talked about her holding hands with Miguel on her birthday, so I am wondering what could have happened to the two of them.