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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Colorful, Magical Tale of Love with a Mexican Soul,
By A Customer
This review is from: Esperanza's Box of Saints: A Novel (Paperback)
We chose this book for our book group and everyone just loved it. From the very first chapter it grabbed our imaginations, but more importantly, Esperanza grabbed our hearts. She was such a charming character, full of innocence and yet wise beyond her years. The author painted such vivid pictures with words and you could almost feel the heat of the locations, hear the lilt of Spanish being spoken. I personally hated to finish the book because I had grown to love the unfolding of Esperanza's journey - both literally and figuratively. What delightful surprises and twists of fate! Maria Amparo Escandon is such an original and compassionate writer who captured the true spirit of her character, Esperanza. I found myself laughing, even while feeling sad. It was probably the most enjoyable book I've read in years. Our book group discussion was so animated and we had trouble ending the conversation about the story, the characters and how close we felt to Esperanza. We are praying (to Esperanza's saints) that Senora Escandon will treat us to another book very soon!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Put away the oven cleaner, there's magic in that grime.,
By
This review is from: Esperanzas Box of Saints (Paperback)
"Esperanza's Box of Saints" is a sweet, poignant story. The plot is fast-based as it follows Esperanza across Mexico and into the US as she searches for her daughter who she believes has been kidnapped and sold into prostitution.The novel is billed as being in the magical realism vein, but those elements are very subtle. There are brief episodes of Esperanza's saints talking to her or otherwise giving her signs, and there is the sense that she is somehow protected, or charmed, as she is able to remain relatively unscathed while undergoing some potentially dangerous or degrading experiences. Otherwise, the story seems very grounded in an everyday world which is pious, sordid, beautiful, and freaky. For me, the main thing that kept the book from achieving 5 stars is that the characters throughout are fairly superficial - which is something that is common to most "picaresque" novels. Even Esperanza, who undergoes some life-altering events, doesn't really experience any character development since she doesn't take time to reflect on what is happening to her even during her confessions to her priest. Actually, I felt that the priest was the most complex, and even compelling, character of the story and was a little disappointed that there weren't more interactions between him and Esperanza, or at least that there wasn't more depth to the interactions they did have. One of the strengths of the novel are the descriptive narratives. Ms. Escandon really brings to life the world Esperanza inhabits, from the tropical sights and smells of Veracruz, to the barrenness of Tijuana, to the weirdness of LA. If you read this book you'll never be able to look at dirty ovens or rust stains, or smell tamarinds, in the same way again.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
What a trip! With San Judas Tadeo to assist...,
By
This review is from: Esperanza's Box of Saints: A Novel (Paperback)
Our funny little tale begins when a young recently widowed mother loses her 12 year old daughter during a routine operation. Esperanza lives with Soledad (both of whom have lost their husbands in the same bus accident) and Esperanza's daughter, Blanca - of course the most beautiful, sweet girl in the village. After Blanca dies, Esperanza swears to her local priest that San Judas Tadeo has appeared to her on her greasy oven window to let her know that Blanca is not really dead! Esperanza, much to the chagrin of both her priest and her friend Soledad, take off to `track' down Blanca - whom she believes has been kidnapped (by the doctors who can't be trusted) and forced to be a prostitute. Her journey takes her north through Mexico, to Tijuana, and even up into Los Angeles where she finds something completely unexpected. The story is a very fun read and absolutely and completely unbelievable. Esperanza is helped by people who are not the helping kind, and she is cared for and also very lucky in her escapades. She meets the strangest characters including pimps, prostitutes, madams, and a very handsome professional wrestler. Probably the funniest parts of the book are the missives that Esperanza sends back to Father Salvador (her local priest) who seems beside himself with her wanderings and in constant fear that something horrible will befall her. Again, this is not literature by any stretch - but if you enjoy the Latin spirits in your writing and you want a light-hearted book for a change - this one is a good one to choose.
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