Review by Booklist Review
In 1937 in San Antonio, Texas, 13-year-old Petra Navarro quits school due to her father's sudden death and her family's precarious financial situation. With a stepmother and two young siblings, the family does not have enough money for necessities. An eager student, Petra sadly begins a low-paying full-time job as a pecan sheller. Set over a year, the story follows how Petra matures and learns about life while working at the factory. Horrified by the poor working conditions and devastated by the death of a friend due to tuberculosis, Petra joins a labor strike despite her stepmother's strong objections. Facing wage cuts, the workers strike and face police brutality and unjust arrest. Petra's character development is inspiring, and the relationship between her and her stepmother exhibits a relatable and touchingly satisfying arc that allows the two to become closer after Petra learns of her stepmother's tragic past. The narrative explores the tense and unjust situations that exist between the Mexican American laborers and the police, the city government, and the exploitative owners of the factories. A powerful, moving story explores the little-known but important story of the six-week pecan shellers' strike. An author's note explaining the role of Emma Tenayuca and the Fair Standards Labor Act's impact on the pecan shellers' strike concludes.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When her father's death forces Petra to leave school and shell pecans in a factory with her stepmother, Amá, the 13-year-old mourns her lost dreams of graduating and becoming a writer. In 1930s San Antonio, Tex., many pecan factories employ mainly Mexican immigrants such as Amá, who work for pennies in poorly ventilated rooms where tuberculosis spreads. Despite her dismay at leaving school, Petra accepts her new responsibilities, including helping Amá raise her younger siblings, and soon makes friends at the factory with two girls her age. But when tragedy occurs, Petra must weigh her family's needs with the changes promised by a strike and union, should she join other laborers' efforts. Visceral descriptions of the financial insecurity faced by pecan shellers and police brutality encountered during the strikes are balanced by Petra's optimistic spirit and determination to make changes for herself and her community. Using short chapters with quick pacing, Ruiz-Flores (Piece by Piece) unveils intimate and well-researched depictions of the Pecan Shellers Strike of 1938 and its impact on Mexican descendants and beyond. An author's note provides additional historical context. Ages 10--14. Agent: Kayla Cichello, Upstart Crow Literary. (Apr.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In San Antonio, Texas, in 1937, a 13-year-old must drop out of school to shell pecans to help support her family. Nothing has been the same since Petra's father suddenly died. First her distraught stepmother, Amá, couldn't get out of bed. Now Amá is forcing Petra to quit the school she loves and go to work with her in a pecan-shelling factory to keep them from losing their home. Still dealing with her own grief, Petra struggles to hold on to her dream of returning to school and becoming a writer when hope feels futile. The factory conditions are terrible. Many of the workers become sick with lung conditions linked to inhaling pecan dust in the poorly ventilated space. Workers labor for mere pennies under an uncaring boss. Some of her older co-workers resent Petra for even landing the job, upset that she may be displacing them. Readers' hearts will go out to smart, kind Petra, who's forced to bear intense adult pressures while still a child. When tragedy strikes, and the boss threatens to cut their already meager wages, Petra and her co-workers risk everything to fight for their rights and unionize. Petra also learns more about her Mexican American community and the horrors they endured during the Mexican Revolution. The story deftly explores the nuances of both Petra's and Amá's relationship and traumas, as well as the strength and hope to be found in family and community. A poignant, beautifully written tale. (author's note, discussion questions)(Historical fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
