About Esperanza Rising
Esperanza Rising is a YA historical fiction novel by American writer Pam Muñoz Ryan, published in 2000. Set in Mexico and California during the Great Depression, the story follows Esperanza Ortega, who, at the opening of the novel is a wealthy girl living in a mansion with her loving family. However, due to nefarious circumstances Esperanza must escape to America to make a new life.
■ Human rights belong to everyone, but they can look different to different people in different places.
■ We can better understand how human rights can be threatened by reading about the experiences of fictional characters in stories.
■ We can raise awareness of human rights issues by writing about the issues fictional characters face.