Customer Reviews

Esperanza's Box of Saints

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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!

"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.

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.

This was one of those books that I just could not put down.Being a latino it brought back many memories of my mother,a devoted Catholic,and her Saints.When my mother died I kept her Saints and packed them in a box when we moved to our new house.what an excellent job by Ms. Escandon in describing the main character,Esperanza.Not to keen in the ways of the world but certainly not lacking in common sense and wholeheartedly devoted to her only child. This was a refreshing and authentic book unlike so many of the books today that all seem to come from the same brain factory.It should appeal to all audiences.

Maria Escandon continues the literary tradition of magical realism in this journey about a woman determined to find her lost daughter, who she thinks has been kidnapped and sold into prostitution rather than died in the hospital. Definitely not a serious read, this book is charming, light hearted, and only slightly predictable. A good, fun, quick read.

Esperanza has reasons, albeit a bit farfetched, to believe that her only daughter, declared dead, has actually been sold into child prostitution by an unscrupulous doctor. So mommy doesn't hesitate to go out looking for her baby even if it involves passing herself off as a prostitute, which is sort of difficult since she's the least knowledgeable woman on earth in this kind of, uh, career, and those who are can spot her right away. Her innocence and beauty often put her in uncomfortable and frequently hilarious situations with all sorts of men, ranging from a serious, uptight American judge to a Chicano wrestler that just knows she's the woman for him. Esperanza is an endearing character, especially because she's not in the least aware of the effect she has on men, blinded as she is by her lack of worldliness and her drive to find her missing daughter. It does seem kind of absurd that she has this much power over men without even thinking about it, and even more absurd is the fact that she manages to come away from her experiences without losing her naivete, but then, this is magic realism. It is a funny, lighthearted little story, sweet and sad, just right for a vacation read.

Esperanza is truly an inspirational character. She is always on the move, but her sweet santitos are always by her side. The book is a great balance between a woman's undying faith, as well as her uninhibited sexuallity, which are not two things that most people would expect to find in the same book. I certainly didn't! i definatly recommend this book!

Esperanza starts off on a mission from God delivered by an apparition of a saint in her oven door. Along the way, author Maria Amparo Escandon keeps us laughing with eccentric characters, bizzare situations, and the seamier side of two cities. The author paints many vivid scenes full of sensuous beauty, exotic smells, and tastes from the tropics. Esperanza's dedication never falters, despite unbelievable obstacles. In the end, her tale blossoms into a beautiful love story showing the strength of the bonds between a mother and child, women who live like sisters, men and women, and ultimately a rich spiritual love of the Saints.

This was SUCH an enjoyable read. Very fun. I have really enjoyed reading Hispanic culture fiction and this is one of the best I've read. The first one of this genre I read (that this reminds me of) is "Like Water for Chocolate" by Laura Esquivel. I highly recommend both to put a smile on your face.

"Esperanza's Box of Saints" is a novel that, despite its digestible lenght, not once failed to deliver all the heart, laughs and depth one would wish to see in such a spiritual telling.

With an uncanny ability to weave dimensional characters in just a matter of paragraphs, Maria Amparo Escandón tells us a tale that explores a woman's struggle with her faith, and a journey which touches not only the lives of the characters she meets (be them pimps, prostitutes or angelical wrestlers), but also the hearts of the readers.

Told with simplistic prose, clever touches of humor amidst the drama and the heartfelt magic of Mexico's culture to add spice to its already unique mood and the intelligence and responsability of a fully realized author, "Esperanza's Book of Saints" should be a novel read by everyone.