👶👶👶👶: The Road to Delano, by John DeSimone

My 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘰, by John DeSimone was an engaging look into the struggles of the migrant field workers of the 1960s. Set in Delano, CA, the story unfolds with the Duncan family as its central focus. As young Jack matures we are led on a journey that exposes the cruelty that immigrant Mexican and Filipino workers were subject to in the industry: extremely harsh working conditions, the constant threat of violence, and ridiculously low pay.

Mr. DeSimone does an excellent job of working in actual historical figures such as Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and Joan Baez into the narrative. I learned so much about Chavez' plight and was so impressed by his non-violent character and moral integrity. What he accomplished was remarkable and thanks to him, working conditions for the farm workers were greatly improved.

The author was able to craft a novel that speaks to the importance of this movement while making it accessible to young people as well. I would recommend this historical fiction to both adults and the YA population - an engaging introduction to important US history with no inappropriate content (other than mild language, which is to be expected). Also, baseball fans will enjoy the emphasis on the sport which is a parallel storyline.

Many thanks to @tlcbooktours and @johndesimone1969 for gifting me with the novel in exchange for an honest review!

Read 7/30/21