Under the Mesquite is a book I couldn't put down and yet I wanted so badly to take my time with it, because I didn't want it to end. This is Guadalupe Garcia McCall's first YA novel and I see from her website that she is working on a second. Hooray and Hooray! Of course NOW I see she was at ALA in New Orleans and I could have gotten my hands on this book even sooner! Sigh. I wish I would have the opportunity to tell Ms. McCall how much her story, written in verse, moved me. Here is a fresh story with a well-developed main character that becomes so real, like a friend, as the book goes on. We meet Lupita as a freshman and follow her through graduation. She is the eldest daughter of a large Mexican American immigrant family, a brilliant writer and a budding actress. She will also be facing the incredible loss of her mother to cancer.
The love between the members of Lupita's family is incredible. It's a normal family, with fighting and all that jazz, but they LOVE each other, that is so clear.
I simply loved this book. It doesn't take long to read and it should be read. I am looking forward to more from Ms. McCall.
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