{"product_id":"under-the-mesquite-9781600604294","title":"Under the Mesquite","description":"\u003cp\u003ePura Belpré Author Award Winner - American Library Association (ALA)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLupita, a budding actor and poet in a close-knit Mexican American immigrant family, comes of age as she struggles with adult responsibilities during her mother's long illness.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs the oldest of eight siblings, Lupita is used to taking the lead-and staying busy behind the scenes to help keep everyone together. But when she discovers Mami has been diagnosed with cancer, Lupita is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother, the anchor of her close-knit Mexican American family. Suddenly Lupita must face a whole new set of challenges, with new roles to play, and no one is handing her the script.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the midst of juggling life as a high school student, testing her wings as an actress, and dealing with friends who don't always understand, Lupita desperately wants to support Mami in whatever way she can. While her father stays with Mami at an out-of-town clinic, Lupita takes charge of her siblings. As Lupita struggles to keep the family afloat, she escapes the chaos of home by writing in the shade of a mesquite tree. Overwhelmed by change and loss, she takes refuge in the healing power of words.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTold with honest emotion in evocative free verse, Lupita's journey is both heart-wrenching and hopeful. Under the Mesquite is an empowering story about the testing of family bonds, the strength of a young woman navigating pain and hardship with surprising resilience, and the kind of love that cannot be uprooted.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGuadalupe García McCall\u003c\/b\u003e is the best-selling author of \u003ci\u003eSummer of the Mariposas\u003c\/i\u003e and won the Pura Belpré Award for her first novel, \u003ci\u003eUnder the Mesquite\u003c\/i\u003e. She was born in Mexico and moved to Texas as a young girl, keeping close ties with family on both sides of the border. She is a full-time author and abuelita and lives with her husband in South Texas. Find her online at ggmccall.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Lee \u0026 Low Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50601233056018,"sku":"9781600604294","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_c1b11422-e559-4f88-b25a-0deffa7a57d8.jpg?v=1732223746","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/under-the-mesquite-9781600604294","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}