Max lives in the small village of Santa Maria near the boarder. He has grown up playing futbol, helping his father and "buelo" build bridges, and listening to his buelo's fantastic stories. Many of the stories are about the "hidden ones" and the brave "guardians" who help them escape oppression in the neighboring country. Max considers the guardians a heroes, but some of the other kids say they are criminals and that the hidden ones are escaped convicts. Max is more concerned about being chosen for the city futbol teem, then about the stories, until one day he finds something that makes him wonder if there might be a ray of truth in his grandfather's old tales and they might hold the key to the whereabouts of a mother Max has never known.
This was an interesting book. At first I wasn't sure if the book was going to be a fantasy, as it was clearly not written as realistically as Ryan's
Esperanza Rising or some of her other works. It turned out to be more of a kind of allegory, I think. She uses a fictionalized place, but the characters are realistic, sympathetic, complex and dealing with timely issues. It is also beautifully written and full of all the literary elements some of us love. This book is getting starred reviews everywhere, and I think it will be a Newbery contender this year. (247 p. 2020)
No comments:
Post a Comment