Estrella is a young girl traveling with her Chicano migrant worker family in California. The story it self did not really capture me thus far. It seems to be a young girl becoming an adult or realizing she has to become one. One key moment for me that stands out demonstrating this is when her family arrives at the first place we encounter them working and she ask her naked doll if she is ok and Estrella shakes the dolls head no (page 7). The doll is one many small girls, a lot younger than 13 year old Estrella, would play with. Unlike most young girls dolls this doll is naked which gives me the impression of it going through the same hardships as the family. Estrella shakes the dolls head no, which seems to references that she is not well. Which is very understandable, who could really be ok or well traveling around for work and being forced into labor? The doll also stands out to me as a little creepy. Horror movies and sad parts of books also have the small childs naked doll. It really stands out against even the words of the story as this is a hard, sad situation.
The other thing that captured me in this story was the very vivid imagery being described. The fields are given so much lush or yummy sounding detail with all the fruits and veggies available and yet not available to the family. It's like life is hanging in front of the family but they can't have it.
I totally agree. I hate dolls in the first place, an reading that was just wierd.
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