Left with nothing, Mama agrees to marry Tío Luis but confesses to Esperanza that the engagement is a diversion so she can plan their escape to the United States. While Esperanza’s family escapes to safety, Abuelita hurts her ankle, and the family’s crops are burnt to a crisp. Soon after, Esperanza wakes up to find their home on fire. Tío Luis offers to marry Mama, threatening her when she turns him down. Together, they try to manipulate the situation after Papa's death in order to seize el Rancho de las Rosas. Papa’s step brothers, Tío Luis and Tío Marco, are both powerful men in Aguascalientes. That night, Esperanza and her family learn that Papa has been killed by bandits. The day before Esperanza's thirteenth birthday, she pricks her finger on a thorn-a sign of bad luck. Esperanza is especially close to her father, who instills in her a strong connection to the land. Set in the 1930s, the novel opens on El Rancho de las Rosas, a ranch in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where 12-year-old Esperanza lives a charmed life with her papa, mama, abuelita, and several servants. It tells the story of Esperanza Ortega, a privileged girl who must leave behind her family’s wealth and social status when her father is murdered, forcing her family to move from Mexico to the United States. The novel is loosely inspired by Muñoz Ryan’s experience growing up in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Published in the year 2000, Esperanza Rising is a young adult novel written by Mexican-American author Pam Muñoz Ryan.
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