Maria-Elena Amador

The book is an excellent eye opener in many ways. The struggle of migrant families, often associated with poverty; the lack of good communication skills because of language barriers for the adults, as well as the understanding of the difficulties by their children, often forced to become the official channel of translations and communication. The presence of the grandfather is a reminder of the old country and their cultural differences, in many ways strange for the young children, but always accepted. Child labor, something many youngsters in modern American generations are not aware of, is another eye opener. Family values, responsibility, friendship, and love are at the core of this historical novel. The writing is clear, and even when the occasional French word is inserted, the meaning is well understood. The story, based on real facts and photographs by Lewis Hine, is a sociological analysis of life in America in the 1900s.