Under The Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Garcia McCall, G. (2013). Under the Mesquite. Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781600604293
Lupita, the oldest of eight children, has always had a rich life. With her life full of family, happy memories, and a determined drive, Lupita has loved her life and all that has come with it. Lately, however, Lupita has noticed Mami hiding something from her. Grappling with the revelation that her Mami has cancer, Lupita and her family must navigate one of the most challenging times of their lives.
Heartwrenching is the one word I would use to describe Under The Mesquite. In this book, written in free verse, you can learn about Lupita's family's values. Even as a family of ten, Lupita's mom and dad care deeply for each child, and that is described in beautiful poetry, such as when Lupita describes how her mom sees each of her children as "pennies from heaven. / The more you have, / the richer you become." Language such as that allows the reader to become invested in Lupita's story as they can visualize each stage of Lupita's life in full detail. When it is revealed that Lupita's mom's cancer has come back, and this time with a force they were not prepared for, your heart aches as you see the family do everything they can to make their strong, resilient mom whole once again. When it is revealed that the treatments aren't working and her mom is a shadow of who she once was and eventually is laid to rest, your heart mourns for this family as you would your own. I also like how the story did not end once Lupita's mom passed away, just like in real life. Though it may feel like the end of the world when someone you love passes away, life continues, just as Lupitas' did. Finding ways to cope is not always easy, but it is necessary to ensure you continue living life to your fullest.
Reading Lupita's story reminded me of my family and our values. I am Hispanic, and our family is a big part of our culture. Additionally, Lupita and her seven siblings also reminded me of my mom, who has seven siblings, and through the stories she and her siblings tell us, times were not always easy for my Grandma and Grandpa raising eight children. Despite that, they were always well cared for and loved, just like Lupita's large family. Growing up, and even now, my family goes to our local Catholic church, just like Lupita, and it is for reasons like those that I saw a lot of parallels between Lupita's life and mine. Guadalupe Garcia McCall portrays the Hispanic culture well, and I would expect nothing less from an author born in Mexico herself.
What do readers think of Under the Mesquite? Kirkus Reviews states that it is a "promising, deeply felt debut" with "poignant imagery and well-placed Spanish [that allows] the author [to] effectively capture the complex lives of teenagers in many Latino and/or immigrant families." An activity that you can do after reading Under the Mesquite is pick one of your favorite memories (happy or sad) and challenge yourself to write about it in verse, just like how Under The Mesquite is written. Once it is written, share it with those who are important in your life or, even better, those who were present in the memory that inspired your poem! If you enjoyed Under the Mesquite, you will also like Summer of Mariposas, written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall.
Honors and Awards for Under the Mesquite:
- Pura Belpre Author Award
- William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist
- 2013 Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
- Americas Award Honorable Mention
- Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Finalist
- 2012 International Latino Book Award - Honorable Mention
- 2013 International Literacy Association's Promising Poet Award
Awards: Under the Mesquite. GUADALUPE GARCIA MCCALL. (2013, July 7). https://ggmccall.com/awards/awards-under-the-mesquite/
Under the Mesquite. Kirkus Reviews. (2011, October 1). https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/guadalupe-garcia-mccall/under-mesquite/
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