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Summary
Summary
In this heartwarming historical middle-grade set in the 1930s -- perfect for fans of Esperanza Rising and Hattie Big Sky -- Margarita Sandoval and her family try to navigate the shifting winds of belonging in their new Wyoming town.
Some days, ten-year-old Margaríta Sandoval feels as if the wind might blow her away. The country has been gripped by the Great Depression, so times are hard everywhere. Then she has to leave her família in New Mexico -- especially her beloved Abuelita -- to move to Fort Steele, Wyoming, where her father has taken a job on the railroad.
When Margaríta meets Evangeline, she's excited to have a friend her own age in Wyoming. But it often seems like Evangeline, and everyone else in town, doesn't understand or appreciate the Sandovals' Hispanic heritage. At the same time, the Sandovals discover they might lose Abuelita's land and their ancestral home unless they can pay off her tax bill. Can Margaríta keep her friend, help her family in New Mexico, and find a place in Fort Steele for good?
Author Notes
Mary Louise Sanchez is a retired schoolteacher and librarian. The Wind Called My Name , her debut novel, is based in part on her family history, particularly the life of her mother, who grew up in Wyoming in the 1930s. A winner of the Tu Books New Visions Award, Mary Louise lives with her husband near Denver, Colorado.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, this novel introduces Margarita Sandoval, whose family is facing both financial and social difficulties as they navigate life away from their home. Margarita's family has lived in New Mexico for centuries, but now they must leave and seek out new ways of making money. They head to Wyoming where her father has been working for a year as a railroad worker. Margarita is ecstatic at first to be reunited with her family and explore a new place, but is also cautious of how her people and her culture is treated. Between adjusting to life away from her abuela and her ancestral home, and facing racism, Margarita is overwhelmed and wondering if she can ever be her true self and what that even means. Peppered with Spanish vocabulary, rich imagery, and detailed historical references, this book will transport readers to another time and place. VERDICT A much-needed and well-written addition to the slate of middle grade novels set during the Great Depression.-Katie Llera, Brunner Elementary School, Scotch Plains, NJ © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The Great Depression has forced 10-year-old Margarita's family to move from New Mexico to Wyoming, where her older brother and father have found railroad jobs. Margarita has two goals in her new home: to help her family earn the money to pay taxes on the family land in New Mexico, where her grandmother lives, and to make her first-ever friend. Margarita and her family integrate into their community, selling eggs and tortillas in the local store. Margarita befriends Evangeline but is understandably uncomfortable with the way Evangeline Americanizes her name and confuses New Mexico with Mexico. And when a few workers decide that the "whole family should go back-back to Mexico," Margarita, her family, and their friends must fight for their place in their new home. Spanish phrases are woven into the story, as are references to the family's cultural traditions, such as the holiday Las Posadas. Debut author Sanchez, a winner of the SCBWI Emerging Voices Award, has created a rich slice-of-life tale with a protagonist who learns to advocate for herself and her family. Ages 8-12. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Margarita's family moves from New Mexico to Wyoming so Papa can find railroad work during the Great Depression. Margarita misses home, but her curiosity and resourcefulness allow her to help her family financially, form new (and complex) friendships, and fight against bigotry both subtle and overt. Strong, intelligent Margarita is easy to root for in this quiet, satisfying historical story. An author's note adds context. Glos. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A Depression-era story that's not so depressing. Margarita is moving with her family from New Mexico to a small town in Wyoming in 1934. When they arrive and reunite with her father, a railroad worker, they begin to settle in and start using English instead of Spanish to fit in with the townsfolk. When Margarita breaks a lamp at the local general store, she must work off her debt and in doing so befriends the store owner's granddaughter, Caroline. Though she's friendly enough, Caroline constantly demonstrates she regards Margarita as other by calling her Mexican instead of New Mexican. Meanwhile, while most of the town is cordial with the newcomers, there is a growing unrest as white men become angry that "beaners" are "taking all the jobs" (sound familiar?). Throughout, Margarita puts on a strong face as she finds more and more ways to contribute to her family's income and do well in school while putting up with microaggressions. Spanish goes unitalicized in the text, thankfully, but some consistently misplaced diacritics ("Filadelfo") and awkward insertions of Spanish in ways that don't fit the usual grammar of the dialect will bog down readers accustomed to hearing or speaking the language; the use of "Hispanic" is anachronistic. Margarita, though, is an industrious, clever, and plucky protagonist worth rooting for.Could have been great but is just good. (list of dichos, author's note, glossary and pronunciation guide) (Historical fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In the 1930s, a girl and her family leave their home in New Mexico to make a new life in Wyoming. Margarita Sandoval's ancestors have lived in New Mexico for generations when it flew under the Spanish, the Mexican, and finally the American flag. But the Depression and a drought force Margarita's immediate family to find work elsewhere. In Wyoming, the family encounters kindness but also hostility, as some railroad workers, not believing or caring that the Sandovals are U.S. citizens, insist they are outsiders taking jobs that don't belong to them. Margarita also navigates a complicated friendship with the lively but sometimes insensitive Caroline. Sanchez creates a winning protagonist in Margarita, who adapts to her new life with intelligence, grit, and curiosity. Seeing her recognize and eventually speak up against casual bigotry as when Caroline gives her the nickname Maggie because it is easier for her to pronounce is as satisfying as when she fights against more overtly aggressive acts of prejudice. A hopeful historical story with a strong heroine.--Mariko Turk Copyright 2018 Booklist
