Breaking Through

by Jimenez, Francisco

• ISBN13: 9780618342488
• ISBN10: 0618342486
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-01
• Publisher: Houghton Miff

Summary

At the age of fourteen, Francisco Jimnez, together with his older brother Roberto and his mother, are caught by la migra. Forced to leave their home, the entire family travels all night for twenty hours by bus, arriving at the U.S. and Mexican border in Nogales, Arizona. In the months and years that follow, Francisco, his mother and father, and his seven brothers and sister not only struggle to keep their family together, but also face crushing poverty, long hours of labor, and blatant prejudice. How they sustain their hope, their goodheartedness, and tenacity is revealed in this moving sequel to The Circuit. Without bitterness or sentimentality, Francisco Jimnez finishes telling the story of his youth.

Author Biography

Francisco Jiménez emigrated from Tlaquepaque, Mexico, to California, where he worked for many years in the fields with his family. He received both his master’s degree and his Ph.D. from Columbia University and is now chairman of the Modern Languages and Literature Department at Santa Clara University, the setting of much of Reaching Out. He is the award-winning author of The Circuit, Breaking Through, La Mariposa, and his newest novel, Reaching Out. He lives in Santa Clara, California, with his family.

Table of Contents

Forced Out	p. 1
Home Alone	p. 19
Stepping Out	p. 29
Together Again	p. 42
Back to the Fields	p. 48
Saint Christopher Medal	p. 56
Summer Skirmishes	p. 61
Becoming a Saint	p. 70
If the Shoe Fits	p. 80
A Promotion	p. 83
A Typing Machine	p. 91
Making Connections	p. 94
Broken Heart	p. 103
Behind the Wheel	p. 109
Turning a Page	p. 113
Los Santitos	p. 117
Choosing Sides	p. 122
Junior Scandals	p. 127
Running for Office	p. 135
A New Life	p. 146
A Test of Faith	p. 151
A Fumble	p. 157
A Breakthrough	p. 163
Graduation Day	p. 175
Still Moving	p. 185
A Note from the Author	p. 194
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