Jesse - by Gary Soto (Paperback)

About the Book

From the author of "Local News" comes a touching and honest novel about a young Mexican-American boy's coming of age in the shadow of the Vietnam War. Jesse and his brother, Abel, have plans for their lives--to rise above poverty and desolation by furthering their eductions.

Book Synopsis

In this new edition of his first young adult novel, Gary Soto paints a moving portrait of seventeen-year-old Jesse, who has left his parents' home to live with his older brother. These Mexican American brothers hope junior college will help them escape their heritage of tedious physical labor. Their struggles are humorous, true to life, and deeply affecting. Young adults will sympathize with the brothers as they come to terms with what is possible for each of them in an imperfect world.

Includes a reader's guide.

Review Quotes

"Readers looking for a finely written, contemplative narrative will appreciate this work."--School Library Journal (starred review)

"Just as Soto tenderly captures Jesse's tentative forays into adulthood, so he paints a more universal picture of the lives of Mexican Americans in central California in a time of cultural and political change. A moving, engrossing novel that contains strands of both humor and despair."--The Horn Book