Interactive Historical Fiction e-books
Lupita Manana by Patricia Beatty
Crossing over the border is a dangerous business...
...But Lupita must cross from Mexico to America. After her father dies in a fishing boat accident in the seas near their small Mexican village, Lupita’s family is left in poverty. Lupita and her big brother, Salvador, must smuggle themselves into the United States to earn money to support their mother and young siblings. America is not the land of opportunity they had hoped. A new language, hard labor, and the constant threat of la migra—the immigration police—make every day a difficult challenge. But for feisty Lupita, there is always hope for a better mañana—tomorrow.
“A completely engaging novel about how two adolescents, Lupita and Salvador, must sneak into the United States looking for work after their father dies in a fishing accident and leaves the family destitute. Beyond being a “refugee” story, Lupita Manana encompasses the protagonist’s coming of age as she grows from an idealist young child to a realist who lives with over-extended family, works for barely no pay, and ultimately loses her brother to hooligan behavior and deportation. A bittersweet story, to be sure, but we are left knowing that Lupita, at least, is a survivor”
