María Elena Lucas

Reviewed March 2001

Required reading for History 350, this is a auto bio of a Chicana organizer her childhood and her poisoning by pesticides. The book is peppered with excerpts from her diary and poems. Also included is a play about farmworkers she wrote. Her life was extremely difficult, she is the oldest child of 17, she regularly forgaged from garbage cans for food. She married at 15 to a husband who beat her and forced her to have 8 children. In reading I found out how miserable life show more can be for the very poor, it is still impossible for me to understand how people can stay in this lifestyle. Personally I do not care for this woman, I feel she could have done more for her friends and family if she had taken care of herself first. Owning a home, would have been more stable for her 8 children. She seems to feel that she needs to help everyone, harming herself in the meantime. I'm happy that she is able to express herself by writing and her story is worth reading. I'm sure the impact of her words will help me become a better person.

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