Esperanza lives on Mango Street. Before that it was Loomis on the third floor; before that it was Keeler; and before that it was Paulina. By the time she and her family moved to Mango Street, she was one of six. And this is about her time on Mango Street, growing up in a changing Hispanic neighborhood with all the hardness, mystery, and beauty that entails, and how it encourages her to become something different, something more, than what was expected of her.
Impression: I wasn't expecting two things about this novel: for it to be such a short, easy read; and to actually like it. In fact, I stayed up way past what I was supposed to (being sick and all at the time) to finish it. Despite the simple writing style - which is very evocative of a child's writing (and that's no small accomplishment for an adult author) - the novel draws you in and makes you want to read on. It's much like reading a young girl's diary, and Esperanza's life both touches and inspires you. And I've always loved books about women who rise above their circumstances, becoming more than what they were "meant" to be, and who are strong enough to return one day and share that determination and strength with others. This is another book I highly recommend.
