It is 1911 and 13-year-old Evangelina loves her life in northern Mexico, from her daily chores to her adoring family and the beauty of her surroundings. As her family celebrates her sister Elsa's quinceañera, news arrives that revolutionaries are due to turn up in their town any day now. To escape the violence, Evangelina and her family travel to Texas, leaving their home and some of their loved ones behind. When they arrive, they are met with hostility from people who erroneously believe they lack hygiene or the ability to learn arithmetic or science. When a meeting is organized to discuss preventing any more Mexicans to continue settling in Seneca, it seems as if the situation will become more hostile for Evangelina's family. With the help of a kindhearted doctor and her new friends Alfonso and Selim, Evangelina finds the strength to hope for a new life in an unfamiliar and unwelcoming place. Written in Evangelina's conscientious voice and containing parallels to some of today's current events, this hopeful, yet sometimes heartbreaking, novel is a fast and important read.

In 1911 during the Mexican Revolution, a Mexican family seeking refuge from Pancho Villa, soldiers, and violence migrates to Texas. Debut novelist Noble introduces 13-year-old Evangelina de León—a self-aware, observant, caring daughter and sister—her six siblings, parents, and abuelo, who live on a ranch located outside of Mariposa, a small, northern (fictional) Mexican town. Days after her sister's quinceañera and the news of imminent raids and violence, the family splits up and, in waves, arrive at a relative's home in Texas. They have not left struggle behind, however. Signs that read "No Perros! No Negros! No Mexicanos!" tell them they are shunned at grocery stores. The political and racial tensions in their new hometown are not subtle: the family is denied a burial for a stillborn son; foreign-born children must use the woods as a bathroom instead of the school's outhouse; a black boy is shot; a Lebanese kid is harassed; a young Mexican boy is spat upon; and both white children and adults are cruel to the immigrants in the neighborhood. Using the first person with Spanish sprinkled throughout, Noble propels the novel with vivid imagery and lovely prose, successfully guiding readers behind an immigrant family's lens. Heartbreakingly real scenarios and the family's perseverance will allow readers to forgive slow-moving sections. Loosely based on Noble's own grandmother's story, this debut hits awfully close to home in the current anti-immigrant political climate. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Gr 6-10 This historical fiction title presents a little-known time period, namely, the beginning years of the Mexican Revolution. Set in 1911, it centers on 14-year-old Evangelina who loves the predictability of her life on the family ranch in Mexico. But that changes abruptly when the family learns that Pancho Villas's soldiers are on the way, looting and leaving a trail of destruction and chaos in their wake. Immediately, her large family decides to move north to Texas to stay with relatives until the violence in the country subsides. Once there, Evangelina is ridiculed by racist, ignorant children and teachers, but finds some measure of hope in a friendship with the local doctor who sees her potential. Tensions rise as more immigrants move into the community, and it takes bravery and truth to ensure that the immigrant children receive a just education. Spanish terms are skillfully woven into this primarily English text, serving to build round characters for monolingual and bilingual readers alike. Although Noble's debut novel is based on the life of her paternal grandmother, it does not provide source notes for its historical information. In particular, a subplot involving native people of the Comanche nation is problematic, as it is difficult to determine its accuracy. VERDICT Despite the important historical time period represented in this book, and its themes of U.S. immigration, any classroom or library use should involve students in critically examining its representation of native people alongside accurate historical sources. Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, Lisle, IL