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Esperanza's Box of Saints
From the author of L.A. Weather comes a magical, humorous, and passion-filled odyssey about a beautiful young widow’s search for her missing child—a mission that takes her from a humble Mexican village to the rowdy brothels of Tijuana and a rarely seen side of Los Angeles.
Rescued from turmoil by her favorite saint, Esperanza embarks on a journey that tests her faith, teaches her the ways of the world, and transforms her from a fervently religious innocent to an independent, sexual, and passionately devout woman.
“Esperanza’s Box of Saints fills our souls with colors and flavors, but more importantly with a sense of genuine, heartfelt candor, born from true faith. With a smile on our face and a pang in our heart, we find renewed hope in Esperanza's quest.” —Laura Esquivel, author of Like Water for Chocolate
“The saints in María Amparo Escandón's novel take us on a journey that explores the nature of sin and absolution, the pain of loss, and the resurrection of desire...an enormously compassionate work about a woman who wrestles with her own faith and emerges victorious.” —John Sayles
“A sweet and entertaining novel by an inventive writer.” —Oscar Hijuelos
“A highly original, beautifully written, and heartwarming tale.” —Tony Hillerman
Rescued from turmoil by her favorite saint, Esperanza embarks on a journey that tests her faith, teaches her the ways of the world, and transforms her from a fervently religious innocent to an independent, sexual, and passionately devout woman.
“Esperanza’s Box of Saints fills our souls with colors and flavors, but more importantly with a sense of genuine, heartfelt candor, born from true faith. With a smile on our face and a pang in our heart, we find renewed hope in Esperanza's quest.” —Laura Esquivel, author of Like Water for Chocolate
“The saints in María Amparo Escandón's novel take us on a journey that explores the nature of sin and absolution, the pain of loss, and the resurrection of desire...an enormously compassionate work about a woman who wrestles with her own faith and emerges victorious.” —John Sayles
“A sweet and entertaining novel by an inventive writer.” —Oscar Hijuelos
“A highly original, beautifully written, and heartwarming tale.” —Tony Hillerman
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
41 people are currently reading
2766 people want to read
About the author
María Amparo Escandón
9 books270 followersMaría Amparo Escandón is a Mexican born, US resident, best-selling bilingual novelist, short story writer, screenwriter, and film producer. Her award-winning work is known for addressing bicultural themes that deal with the immigration experience of Mexicans crossing over to the United States. Her stories concentrate on family relationships, loss, forgiveness, faith, and self-discovery. A linguist with a sharp ear for dialogue, she explores the dynamics of language in border sub-cultures and the evolution of Spanglish. Her innovative style of multiple voice narrations and her cleverly humorous, quirky, and compassionate stories with a feminine angle capture the magical reality of everyday life and place her among the top Latin American female writers. Her work has been translated into over 21 languages and is currently read in more than 85 countries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
July 1, 2020
"The bond between a mother and her child is the only real and purest bond in the world…"
—Ama H. Vanniarachchy
Esperanza Diaz, a beautiful, deeply religious Mexican widow is mourning the unexpected death of daughter Blanca when an apparition of San Judas Tadeo – the patron saint of lost causes – appears in the grease of her oven's glass door. To Esperanza's astonishment, the greasy saint informs her that, despite what the authorities have said, Blanca is very much alive!
Furnished with this earth-shattering nugget of information, Esperanza does what any sensible mother would do after listening to their oven door, she sets off for some of the seediest brothels in Mexico, imagining that her sweet Blanca might have been abducted and sold into prostitution.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this captivating escapade. Indomitable Esperanza is as irresistible to the reader as she is to everyone she meets – even her Catholic priest, despite his life of abstinence, falls in love with her.
And so will you.
Esperanza's one-woman quest is as humorous as it is heroic. The unassailable love she has for her daughter is deeply affecting and transcends any thoughts she has for her own safety. You will find yourself rooting for her every step of the way.
The story has a Gabriel García Márquez flavour to it, but I would term it as magical realism-lite, rather than full-blown magical realism.
Whereas Márquez turns the leaf of reality upside down, so we can see what's on the other side, author María Amparo Escandón gently sprinkles her pixie dust onto the narrative so that real life becomes more enchanting than it actually is.
Wonderful Esperanza is a walking paradox. On the one hand, she is wide-eyed and innocent; a small-town señora immersing herself into a perilous world that she knows nothing about. On the other, she is nobody's fool and knows how to secure an advantage. Her naivety is endearing, her optimism meritorious.
The story is extravagant, rather than outlandish, and will certainly bring a big smile to your face.
So, if you want a break from the tedium of those humdrum books you've recently wasted your time on, then grab this sparkling story with both hands and get into it without delay.
You'll thank me for it. : )
—Ama H. Vanniarachchy
Esperanza Diaz, a beautiful, deeply religious Mexican widow is mourning the unexpected death of daughter Blanca when an apparition of San Judas Tadeo – the patron saint of lost causes – appears in the grease of her oven's glass door. To Esperanza's astonishment, the greasy saint informs her that, despite what the authorities have said, Blanca is very much alive!
Furnished with this earth-shattering nugget of information, Esperanza does what any sensible mother would do after listening to their oven door, she sets off for some of the seediest brothels in Mexico, imagining that her sweet Blanca might have been abducted and sold into prostitution.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this captivating escapade. Indomitable Esperanza is as irresistible to the reader as she is to everyone she meets – even her Catholic priest, despite his life of abstinence, falls in love with her.
And so will you.
Esperanza's one-woman quest is as humorous as it is heroic. The unassailable love she has for her daughter is deeply affecting and transcends any thoughts she has for her own safety. You will find yourself rooting for her every step of the way.
The story has a Gabriel García Márquez flavour to it, but I would term it as magical realism-lite, rather than full-blown magical realism.
Whereas Márquez turns the leaf of reality upside down, so we can see what's on the other side, author María Amparo Escandón gently sprinkles her pixie dust onto the narrative so that real life becomes more enchanting than it actually is.
Wonderful Esperanza is a walking paradox. On the one hand, she is wide-eyed and innocent; a small-town señora immersing herself into a perilous world that she knows nothing about. On the other, she is nobody's fool and knows how to secure an advantage. Her naivety is endearing, her optimism meritorious.
The story is extravagant, rather than outlandish, and will certainly bring a big smile to your face.
So, if you want a break from the tedium of those humdrum books you've recently wasted your time on, then grab this sparkling story with both hands and get into it without delay.
You'll thank me for it. : )
May 30, 2024
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Meet Esperanza Diaz, a woman with a deep spiritual conviction, a truckload of gumption, and looks that could lead a saint to sin. Her life had taken a sharp left turn when her husband was killed in a bus accident years earlier, but our plucky heroine threw herself into raising their daughter, Blanca, and the child became the center of Esperanza's universe.
But as fate would have it, Mrs. Diaz had not yet reached the pinnacle of her tragedy, and when Blanca died from a mysterious illness so contagious that the body could not be viewed after death, Esperanza prayed for a miracle. And a miracle was exactly what she received.
San Judas Tadeo, the saint of hopeless cases, appeared in the grease of her oven door to inform her that Blanca was still alive!
What madness is this? I hear you say ... In the grime of her oven door? How can this be? But saints aren't picky about where they show up.
"After the apparition, I asked myself, 'Should I clean the oven, or should I leave it as it is?' I guess for now I won't touch it. After all, that's where my saint decided to appear. If he likes it there, I respect his preferences."
The message from San Judas wasn't clear, as saintly revelations often aren't. Armed with her own interpretation, Esperanza sets out to find her daughter, concluding that she had been sold to a brothel. A surprisingly humorous, sensual, and miraculous trip of self-discovery follows.
I would classify Esperanza's Box of Saints as magical realism lite. Despite the tragic nature of the story, María Amparo Escandón wrote with a feather-light touch that had me smiling all the way through. It is a well-crafted, entertaining, and highly original tale.
Thank you to Kevin! His splendid review pointed the way.
Kevin's review.
~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Meet Esperanza Diaz, a woman with a deep spiritual conviction, a truckload of gumption, and looks that could lead a saint to sin. Her life had taken a sharp left turn when her husband was killed in a bus accident years earlier, but our plucky heroine threw herself into raising their daughter, Blanca, and the child became the center of Esperanza's universe.
But as fate would have it, Mrs. Diaz had not yet reached the pinnacle of her tragedy, and when Blanca died from a mysterious illness so contagious that the body could not be viewed after death, Esperanza prayed for a miracle. And a miracle was exactly what she received.
San Judas Tadeo, the saint of hopeless cases, appeared in the grease of her oven door to inform her that Blanca was still alive!
What madness is this? I hear you say ... In the grime of her oven door? How can this be? But saints aren't picky about where they show up.
"After the apparition, I asked myself, 'Should I clean the oven, or should I leave it as it is?' I guess for now I won't touch it. After all, that's where my saint decided to appear. If he likes it there, I respect his preferences."
The message from San Judas wasn't clear, as saintly revelations often aren't. Armed with her own interpretation, Esperanza sets out to find her daughter, concluding that she had been sold to a brothel. A surprisingly humorous, sensual, and miraculous trip of self-discovery follows.
I would classify Esperanza's Box of Saints as magical realism lite. Despite the tragic nature of the story, María Amparo Escandón wrote with a feather-light touch that had me smiling all the way through. It is a well-crafted, entertaining, and highly original tale.
Thank you to Kevin! His splendid review pointed the way.
Kevin's review.
January 9, 2023
Esperanza's Box of Saints is a delightful book that has been sitting in my library since 1999 when I had the honor of meeting the author Maria Amparo Escandon. Although intending to read it much sooner, I am so happy that I finally picked it up. The author states that in this book she attempted to keep it outside the margins of magical realism because she feels that magic abounds in real life. It is within this premise that we go on the journey with Esperanza and her box of saints, having recently been told that her twelve-year old daughter has died from a virus, she has a vision of one of her favorite saints, San Judas Tadeo, on her oven's greasy door telling her that Blanca is with not dead but with her. At that point, Esperanza packs up her box of saints, holy cards, candles and goes in search of her daughter. That journey takes her from her small Mexican village in Veracruz to Tijuana, San Diego and Los Angeles. Having been raised in northern New Mexico, I have grown up with saints, roadside shrines, rustic chapels, and all of the beauty in the face of such fierce faith; in fact I have my own supply of holy cards, statues and candles. I loved this book and I loved Esperanza, one of the highlights being her telephone calls to her parish priest for confession during her travels. This was a sweet book that I am happy to have read while in quarantine during this Easter weekend.
Esperanza began to set up a tiny altar on the night table with Blanca's picture, her late husband's, the picture of the wrestling angel torn from Paloma's magazine, the Virgen de Guadalupe, San Judas Tadeo, and a couple of candles that she carefully took from her box."
"Statuettes of San Judas Tadeo, San Ramon Nonato, San Pasqual Bailon, San Pafnucio, and San Martin de Porres were lit by novena candles featuring decals of the same saints, and around them three glass vases with red carnations, all carefully arranged on the chaise lounge, the larger saints in the back, the smaller ones in front. A beautiful glow-in-the-dark San Miguel Arcangel. A Virgen de Guadalupe surrounded by dusty silk roses and illuminated by a pink lightbulb. A Sacred Heart with a receptacle for holy water. A crucifix mobile hanging over the entire altar. Pictures of more saints pinned to the wallpaper."
Esperanza began to set up a tiny altar on the night table with Blanca's picture, her late husband's, the picture of the wrestling angel torn from Paloma's magazine, the Virgen de Guadalupe, San Judas Tadeo, and a couple of candles that she carefully took from her box."
"Statuettes of San Judas Tadeo, San Ramon Nonato, San Pasqual Bailon, San Pafnucio, and San Martin de Porres were lit by novena candles featuring decals of the same saints, and around them three glass vases with red carnations, all carefully arranged on the chaise lounge, the larger saints in the back, the smaller ones in front. A beautiful glow-in-the-dark San Miguel Arcangel. A Virgen de Guadalupe surrounded by dusty silk roses and illuminated by a pink lightbulb. A Sacred Heart with a receptacle for holy water. A crucifix mobile hanging over the entire altar. Pictures of more saints pinned to the wallpaper."
August 2, 2020
I loved this book too much to talk about it coherently, so if you want to read a real review, go to Kevin Ansbro's. In it, Kevin says you'll thank him for recommending this book. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kevin. And also thank you for telling me this book would remind me of my own Zelda McFigg. I'm not only flattered because I loved Escandón's writing but I'm so grateful that you noticed the ephemeral similarity.
I love protagonist Esperanza's love for her "missing" daughter. I love the heroine's journey—so haphazard, sometimes hilarious, and always original. I love the language. I love the character. I love the masterful transitions between double-spaced sections—not an extra anything, and the way the plot moves forward with completely unexpected but absolutely organic shifts of first persons. I never knew where it was going and I loved being surprised.
And most of all, I love that beneath what Kevin calls a "captivating escapade," there is real substance: what is reality, what is faith, are events magical or is there another reality that, when noticed, changes one's perspective and is therefore critically necessary? Anybody who has had what most people will call a psychic or supernatural or maybe even a spiritual experience that defies regular physics will understand what I'm talking about. And since I have had such an experience, although I'm not religious or nuts and don't talk to saints in dirty oven windows (the instigating event for Esperanza's journey), I deeply grok this story.
I love protagonist Esperanza's love for her "missing" daughter. I love the heroine's journey—so haphazard, sometimes hilarious, and always original. I love the language. I love the character. I love the masterful transitions between double-spaced sections—not an extra anything, and the way the plot moves forward with completely unexpected but absolutely organic shifts of first persons. I never knew where it was going and I loved being surprised.
And most of all, I love that beneath what Kevin calls a "captivating escapade," there is real substance: what is reality, what is faith, are events magical or is there another reality that, when noticed, changes one's perspective and is therefore critically necessary? Anybody who has had what most people will call a psychic or supernatural or maybe even a spiritual experience that defies regular physics will understand what I'm talking about. And since I have had such an experience, although I'm not religious or nuts and don't talk to saints in dirty oven windows (the instigating event for Esperanza's journey), I deeply grok this story.
August 2, 2020
Quirky, creative, and playful are just a few adjectives to describe the book, "Esperanza's Box of Saints". The story is centered around Esperanza Diaz, a beautiful and religious young widow, whose teen daughter has just died under suspicious circumstances. Esperanza experiences a vision from San Judas Tadeo (patron saint of lost causes), who tells her that her daughter is alive. What follows is Esperanza's quixotic odyssey to find her daughter. Since Esperanza is convinced that her daughter has been kidnapped and forced to work in a brothel, Esperanza bravely follows that path herself. She travels from her small Mexican town to Tijuana and then to Los Angeles, California, posing as a prostitute. Her priest at home and her best friend Soledad are plainly worried for her.
I read the book in two days, because I just could not put it down.
PBT Notes: As part of Esperanza's journey, she does a spiritual cleansing of a brothel, borrowing witchcraft techniques. She cites Catemaco, a city in Mexico that is famous for witchcraft practices. This fits the tag for witches.
I read the book in two days, because I just could not put it down.
PBT Notes: As part of Esperanza's journey, she does a spiritual cleansing of a brothel, borrowing witchcraft techniques. She cites Catemaco, a city in Mexico that is famous for witchcraft practices. This fits the tag for witches.
January 5, 2011
I really liked this a lot! It was cute, adorable, and wonderful and magnificent all at the same time. I giggled at the ending, which was unsurprising but again, cute and adorable. If you're looking for a fun, quick, and interesting story, grab this book. It requires a bit of suspension of disbelief.
It's not quite on the same level as Isabel Allende, but Esperanza's Box of Saints has that same sort of fantastic element to it.
It's not quite on the same level as Isabel Allende, but Esperanza's Box of Saints has that same sort of fantastic element to it.
July 17, 2014
This was a book with an implausible storyline, but entertaining and well written. This is a story of loss, friendship, and faith.
An apparition of a saint tells Esperanza that her daughter is not dead. She leaves her town in Mexico and searches through the brothels of Tijuana and Los Angeles, looking for her daughter who she believes was kidnapped into prostitution. The assortment of characters she finds is often hilarious and not as frightening as one would imagine happening in reality.
The novel is a quick read, rich in description, and hits on many aspects of Mexican culture and beliefs. I understand that the writer wrote a screenplay for this book, titled "Santitos," directed by John Sayles, which won several film awards in 2000.
The writer;s unique voice and makes me want to read her second book, Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking Company.
An apparition of a saint tells Esperanza that her daughter is not dead. She leaves her town in Mexico and searches through the brothels of Tijuana and Los Angeles, looking for her daughter who she believes was kidnapped into prostitution. The assortment of characters she finds is often hilarious and not as frightening as one would imagine happening in reality.
The novel is a quick read, rich in description, and hits on many aspects of Mexican culture and beliefs. I understand that the writer wrote a screenplay for this book, titled "Santitos," directed by John Sayles, which won several film awards in 2000.
The writer;s unique voice and makes me want to read her second book, Gonzalez and Daughter Trucking Company.
May 30, 2017
I couldn't see how this was going to end well, but I definitely had a smile on my face as it finished.
July 23, 2016
https://cordelial84.wordpress.com/201...
Meet Esperanza, a young widow, who has just lost her child, Blanca. Esperanza is a humble, deeply believing woman, living with her best friend and her daughter. When Blanca dies, Esperanza’s world falls apart. As always, she takes comfort with her faith and her saints. During Blanca’s funeral, one of the saints tells Esperanza that Blanca is not dead and that she has to find her. Thus Esperanza embarks on her journey, which is full of surprises, but which is in reality a journey towards accepting a loss of a loved one.
I picked this one up in library because of its bright cover and because of the title. Description mentioned a trip and since I’m a sucker for everything that happens “on the road,” I borrowed it. As I suspected – judging on the pink cover – it was a light reading. Yes, it’s quite engaging, and with a deeper touch. It tells about small, but important things that matter, but we tend to forget about. About someone with strong morals, who was willing to bend them for a loved one. About how we forget what’s important. Yes, it has it all. Still, it’s told in a humorous way, which made it a rather undemanding, but quite well written novel.
Esperanza is not a complicated character. Her motive is the same from the beginning till the end. The plot of the whole book is totally implausible, but once you get used to the fact that practically everything can happen, and weird coincidences are pretty normal, you’ll enjoy it. For me, it was interesting to find out what more can happen and in what bizarre way Esperanza will get out of her next problem. Plus, I got to follow her from a small, poor village in Mexico, to the dark alleys of Los Angeles.
Recently, I’ve considered myself rather a cynic towards everything religious, so I was afraid this book would get on my nerves because of the “God theme.” It didn’t. Instead, I found it amusing, cute and sweet. The only thing that did get on my nerves, was that every man that Esperanza met on her way, seemed to fall in love with her. But, as I said, the plot was totally implausible, so I got over it.
One more thing that I enjoyed was the threat with the priest. The book begins with Esperanza’s confession to her trusted priest. The confessions continue practically throughout the whole book, and they are always followed by the priest’s prayers and thoughts about Esperanza. Maybe it doesn’t move the plot forward too much, but it’s a nice touch, as different points of view usually are.
Generally, despite talking about death of a very young girl, this novel is a really optimistic one. It has a lot of humor and simplicity to it. It made me smile on a lot of occasions. Finally, and probably most importantly, it’s full of hope. After all, the protagonist’s name is Esperanza (Spanish word for “hope).
Meet Esperanza, a young widow, who has just lost her child, Blanca. Esperanza is a humble, deeply believing woman, living with her best friend and her daughter. When Blanca dies, Esperanza’s world falls apart. As always, she takes comfort with her faith and her saints. During Blanca’s funeral, one of the saints tells Esperanza that Blanca is not dead and that she has to find her. Thus Esperanza embarks on her journey, which is full of surprises, but which is in reality a journey towards accepting a loss of a loved one.
I picked this one up in library because of its bright cover and because of the title. Description mentioned a trip and since I’m a sucker for everything that happens “on the road,” I borrowed it. As I suspected – judging on the pink cover – it was a light reading. Yes, it’s quite engaging, and with a deeper touch. It tells about small, but important things that matter, but we tend to forget about. About someone with strong morals, who was willing to bend them for a loved one. About how we forget what’s important. Yes, it has it all. Still, it’s told in a humorous way, which made it a rather undemanding, but quite well written novel.
Esperanza is not a complicated character. Her motive is the same from the beginning till the end. The plot of the whole book is totally implausible, but once you get used to the fact that practically everything can happen, and weird coincidences are pretty normal, you’ll enjoy it. For me, it was interesting to find out what more can happen and in what bizarre way Esperanza will get out of her next problem. Plus, I got to follow her from a small, poor village in Mexico, to the dark alleys of Los Angeles.
Recently, I’ve considered myself rather a cynic towards everything religious, so I was afraid this book would get on my nerves because of the “God theme.” It didn’t. Instead, I found it amusing, cute and sweet. The only thing that did get on my nerves, was that every man that Esperanza met on her way, seemed to fall in love with her. But, as I said, the plot was totally implausible, so I got over it.
One more thing that I enjoyed was the threat with the priest. The book begins with Esperanza’s confession to her trusted priest. The confessions continue practically throughout the whole book, and they are always followed by the priest’s prayers and thoughts about Esperanza. Maybe it doesn’t move the plot forward too much, but it’s a nice touch, as different points of view usually are.
Generally, despite talking about death of a very young girl, this novel is a really optimistic one. It has a lot of humor and simplicity to it. It made me smile on a lot of occasions. Finally, and probably most importantly, it’s full of hope. After all, the protagonist’s name is Esperanza (Spanish word for “hope).
October 28, 2016
3.5
OK Quirky book. Being of Latin descent I understand the book more than the regular non-Latin. My Grandmother had her saints too.
From the book, Some of Esperanza's saints:
Juan Soldado, the unofficial patron saint and protector of illegal immigrants
San Adjutor, patron saint invoked against drowning
San Antonio de Padua, patron of lost people and invoked by women who wished to get husbands.
San Francisco de Asís, patron of animals and pets,
San Gerardo Mayela, patron of housewives,
San Isidro patron saint of the rain and poor weather conditions.
San Judas Tadeo, saint for desperate cases.
San Martín Caballero “If you want your business to thrive,
San Pafnucio, patron of finding lost, stolen, and misplaced things.
San Pascual Bailón, patron of cooks and housewives,
San Rafael Arcángel, patron of all drivers and travelers,patron of the roads,
San Ramón Nonato, always called on for protection against people talking behind one’s back.
Santa Artelia, patron of kidnapping victims.
Santo Niño de Atocha rescue from danger and violence.
Quotes:
Faith is the most powerful shield against the worst, But you cannot force someone to believe.
==========
“God can really do it all single-handedly, but He’s the boss, He can afford to have as many assistants as He wants,”
==========
I know I should feel right at home in Los Angeles, with all these Mexicans reclaiming their land,
==========
OK Quirky book. Being of Latin descent I understand the book more than the regular non-Latin. My Grandmother had her saints too.
From the book, Some of Esperanza's saints:
Juan Soldado, the unofficial patron saint and protector of illegal immigrants
San Adjutor, patron saint invoked against drowning
San Antonio de Padua, patron of lost people and invoked by women who wished to get husbands.
San Francisco de Asís, patron of animals and pets,
San Gerardo Mayela, patron of housewives,
San Isidro patron saint of the rain and poor weather conditions.
San Judas Tadeo, saint for desperate cases.
San Martín Caballero “If you want your business to thrive,
San Pafnucio, patron of finding lost, stolen, and misplaced things.
San Pascual Bailón, patron of cooks and housewives,
San Rafael Arcángel, patron of all drivers and travelers,patron of the roads,
San Ramón Nonato, always called on for protection against people talking behind one’s back.
Santa Artelia, patron of kidnapping victims.
Santo Niño de Atocha rescue from danger and violence.
Quotes:
Faith is the most powerful shield against the worst, But you cannot force someone to believe.
==========
“God can really do it all single-handedly, but He’s the boss, He can afford to have as many assistants as He wants,”
==========
I know I should feel right at home in Los Angeles, with all these Mexicans reclaiming their land,
==========
May 22, 2019
Esperanza’s Box of Saints by Maria Amparo Escandon is truly a moving novel. Maria Amparo Escandon did such a great job in incorporating two different cultures in this storyline. It was very well written. Esperanza’s Box of Saints is a novel based on the character Esperanza. Esperanza had recently become a widow, and then shortly after, the tragic loss of her daughter sent her awol. This sent her on a search for her daughter, throughout the entire novel Esperanza never lost faith in finding her daughter. She spent years looking for her daughter, she traveled around California and Mexico, just to search for her daughter, who she believed was alive. Esperanza went through many trials and tribulations in her journey. The story was so interesting, I never wanted to put the book down. I also enjoyed the book because I could relate to a lot of the cultural aspects in the novel. I found myself relating to Esperanza a lot throughout her stories about her life. My favorite part of the book was the ending! I was so shocked at the outcome of the book, it was definitely a sad feeling to have finished the book. I really enjoyed this novel. Ms. Escandon did a wonderful job in making this story so vibrant and beautiful. She taught a lot of lessons of life and loss. It really made me realize how important family could be. This story was truly beautiful, I really recommend it to anyone of any age or gender. It will really leave you shocked.
August 10, 2018
I couldn't help thinking as I was reading how awesome a movie this story could make. Not a big-budget/blockbuster/blow stuff up type of movie, but one of those really awesome indie art-house type movies where oven grease magically becomes a talking saint, we could watch the growth of Esperanza's altars, the dingy settings, oh.. and the wrestling scene... So great.
Esperanza loses her daughter to a virus and, in her grief, Saint Judas Tadeo appears to her in the grime of her oven window to say that her daughter is not dead. Esperanza is a devout Catholic and puts all of her faith into her saints. She becomes certain that her daughter was sold into child prostitution and travels to Tijuana and eventually into the U.S. searching for her daughter by working in brothels, talking to pimps and prostitutes, following leads that people give her along the way. She carries a box of saints everywhere she goes and her collection grows as she travels. She builds altars in brothels and becomes such a sensation that she does pretty well for herself. I loved the characters she meets along the way. The priest, the tourist agency manager, and the wrestler were my favorites. Some of them are so well-described that it's as if they are sitting in front of you. Esperanza's voice is fantastic and her certainty in her mission despite her bizarre circumstances is really well done.
Esperanza loses her daughter to a virus and, in her grief, Saint Judas Tadeo appears to her in the grime of her oven window to say that her daughter is not dead. Esperanza is a devout Catholic and puts all of her faith into her saints. She becomes certain that her daughter was sold into child prostitution and travels to Tijuana and eventually into the U.S. searching for her daughter by working in brothels, talking to pimps and prostitutes, following leads that people give her along the way. She carries a box of saints everywhere she goes and her collection grows as she travels. She builds altars in brothels and becomes such a sensation that she does pretty well for herself. I loved the characters she meets along the way. The priest, the tourist agency manager, and the wrestler were my favorites. Some of them are so well-described that it's as if they are sitting in front of you. Esperanza's voice is fantastic and her certainty in her mission despite her bizarre circumstances is really well done.
February 25, 2016
Esperanza's Box of Saints is a short novel, but one that I truly loved. A spiritual woman, Esperanza lives in Mexico with her best friend. Both have lived lives filled with tragedy. First, their husbands were killed in a tragic accident. Most recently, Esperanza's daughter died in the hospital unexpectedly. The book follows Esperanza as she travels through Mexico and the United States searching for her daughter, hoping to find her alive.
Along her journey, Esperanza does things full of sin and lust-- anything if
she could just have her daughter back! This love and dedication really made me feel for her. I couldn't believe what she was willing to put herself through. This book is so sweet and touching. Even if you are not religious (as I am not) you will love this book.
Along her journey, Esperanza does things full of sin and lust-- anything if
she could just have her daughter back! This love and dedication really made me feel for her. I couldn't believe what she was willing to put herself through. This book is so sweet and touching. Even if you are not religious (as I am not) you will love this book.
March 11, 2017
Hmm. Okay. Let me try to tackle this. My feelings about Esperanza's Box of Saints are all over the place.
This book is pretty cute, which makes it hard to reconcile with the extremely dark subject matter. Honestly, I'm not sure how the author did it. The writing is light and charming, but whoa is it dark. Like, every major plot development is super horrendous and grim but described with vivid colors and smells and charming scenes. It's kind of amazing that the author was able to accomplish this. (This is not a compliment... I don't think.)
It's also repetitive, and I grew tired very quickly of the constant descriptions about Esperanza's stunning! gorgeous! beauty and the horrible men who want to... do... things... to her. This happens on just about every. single. page.
Still, I somehow enjoyed this little novel? I really wanted to see how it ended. I don't know! This book was adorable and awful all at once.
This book is pretty cute, which makes it hard to reconcile with the extremely dark subject matter. Honestly, I'm not sure how the author did it. The writing is light and charming, but whoa is it dark. Like, every major plot development is super horrendous and grim but described with vivid colors and smells and charming scenes. It's kind of amazing that the author was able to accomplish this. (This is not a compliment... I don't think.)
It's also repetitive, and I grew tired very quickly of the constant descriptions about Esperanza's stunning! gorgeous! beauty and the horrible men who want to... do... things... to her. This happens on just about every. single. page.
Still, I somehow enjoyed this little novel? I really wanted to see how it ended. I don't know! This book was adorable and awful all at once.
September 25, 2011
Esperanza is trying to deal with the sudden death of her daughter Blanca, when her favorite saint San Judas Tadeo appears to her in the oven door and tells her Blanca isn't dead after all. Thus begins Esperanza's quest to find her little girl. This journey takes her to Tijuana and LA, into the seediest of apartments and brothels, putting her in danger physically and spiritually. But despite the difficulties, Esperanza stays true to her faith and loyal to the memory of her daughter. I love the style and format of the book, a mix of inner monologues, confessions to the priest (probably my favorite parts), and other somewhat random conversations. Desperate and hopeful, innocent and erotic, mystical and real, this book is intriguing and impossible to ignore.
May 29, 2015
I continue to love this book. Maybe I should read this again this year..
February 28, 2021
Another Humanities Kansas book talk pick that I would have never chosen to read (or heard of) had it not been a part of Hispanic Heritage series. Another Humanities Kansas book talk pick that I enjoyed very much.
This story is a strange one. A devote Catholic widow loses her daughter and is not allowed to see the body. She receives a message from a saint telling her that her daughter is not dead. That message sends the grieving mother on a journey of disappointment and discovery while exploring the Hispanic culture and passion.
This story is a strange one. A devote Catholic widow loses her daughter and is not allowed to see the body. She receives a message from a saint telling her that her daughter is not dead. That message sends the grieving mother on a journey of disappointment and discovery while exploring the Hispanic culture and passion.
March 10, 2022
It has been a minute since I first read this book in high school or early college, but I have always listed it as a novel that I really enjoyed. Curious to see if my memories of the novel align with the book itself, I was excited to reread this from my older lens.
I was happy to see that it held up for me, although my teenaged brain had not picked up on a lot of the sexual violence that occurs in the book. I had remembered Esperanza's quest for her daughter Blanca, and the romance with Angel Justiciero, but a lot of the details or supporting characters found throughout the book (Paloma? The Pink Palace? The priest?) were immemorable.
I was struck by how well Escandón captured the different ways that people grieve - that aspect of the novel was lost on my teen-brained self. However, I wish she had spent a little more time establishing Esperanza as more than a grief-addled sexpot from the beginning, as it would have helped provide better justification for Esperanza's actions.
Overall, 3.5/5, but rounding up to 4.
I was happy to see that it held up for me, although my teenaged brain had not picked up on a lot of the sexual violence that occurs in the book. I had remembered Esperanza's quest for her daughter Blanca, and the romance with Angel Justiciero, but a lot of the details or supporting characters found throughout the book (Paloma? The Pink Palace? The priest?) were immemorable.
I was struck by how well Escandón captured the different ways that people grieve - that aspect of the novel was lost on my teen-brained self. However, I wish she had spent a little more time establishing Esperanza as more than a grief-addled sexpot from the beginning, as it would have helped provide better justification for Esperanza's actions.
Overall, 3.5/5, but rounding up to 4.
June 8, 2010
This book does have a fun premise: Esperanza begins a desperate search for her deceased daughter from her small Mexican town to Tijuana to LA after she sees an image of the saint for desperate causes in the grease of her oven window. However, the overall package doesn't satisfy and falls flat w/ too many conveniences: Esperanza is gorgeous - but doesn't know it; she's in and out of hideous situations - but doesn't get hurt; everyone she meets falls in love w/ her - even the most despicable of men. She finally "wins" by exploring her sexuality and by fulfilling the ideal of physical beauty, riding off into the sunset w/ her "prince". Overall, this is a beach book - shallow, impersonal, unthematic, and predictable, not enough substance to support those sections that are well-written (I enjoyed the Tijuana sections w/ Dona Trini and her mysterious milk baths and favorite cow).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2015
Vakit kaybı diyemem ama çokta bir şey katmıyor insana.
Finali biraz saçma olmuş.
Kızı ölmüş dindar bir kadın Esperanza. Cenazenin ertesi, bir azizin silüeti beliriveriyor mutfağının camında. "Kızın ölmedi" diyor.
Ertesi gün bir kez daha aynı senaryo.
Böylece Esperanza başlıyor kızını aramaya. Bir daha a görünmüyor aziz ona. Ama vazgeçmiyor Esperanza. Yolculuğu gene kendi evinde mutfağının camında son buluyor. Meğer aziz efendi "kızın ölmedi kalbinde yaşıyor" mealinde bir şeyler demeye çalışmış.
Eh işte ...
Finali biraz saçma olmuş.
Kızı ölmüş dindar bir kadın Esperanza. Cenazenin ertesi, bir azizin silüeti beliriveriyor mutfağının camında. "Kızın ölmedi" diyor.
Ertesi gün bir kez daha aynı senaryo.
Böylece Esperanza başlıyor kızını aramaya. Bir daha a görünmüyor aziz ona. Ama vazgeçmiyor Esperanza. Yolculuğu gene kendi evinde mutfağının camında son buluyor. Meğer aziz efendi "kızın ölmedi kalbinde yaşıyor" mealinde bir şeyler demeye çalışmış.
Eh işte ...
July 27, 2024
Latino magical realism, by a woman ❤️
How can you not love a book that introduces you on page 1 to St. Jude Thaddeus, Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes? Then immediately hits you with laughs and heartbreak, and never stops.
Grief, faith, madness? Esperanza believes that her dear saints will help her, so armed only with that faith and her own innocence, she follows her heart in a quest to find and save her lost daughter, straight into the Mexico/US border slums. As in every picaresque novel, she meets a string of characters, some helpful, some not, each leaving a trace.
What follows is, well, magic :)
Leap of faith of the author, considering the subject and unusual, earnest form it's told in - fitting for a leap of faith story.
3.something but rounding up (leap of faith rating 😊)
How can you not love a book that introduces you on page 1 to St. Jude Thaddeus, Patron Saint of Hopeless Causes? Then immediately hits you with laughs and heartbreak, and never stops.
Grief, faith, madness? Esperanza believes that her dear saints will help her, so armed only with that faith and her own innocence, she follows her heart in a quest to find and save her lost daughter, straight into the Mexico/US border slums. As in every picaresque novel, she meets a string of characters, some helpful, some not, each leaving a trace.
What follows is, well, magic :)
Leap of faith of the author, considering the subject and unusual, earnest form it's told in - fitting for a leap of faith story.
3.something but rounding up (leap of faith rating 😊)
September 4, 2022
Man this book is fun to read. A modern fairytale of sorts in which a mother searches for her daughter who may have passed or may have been trafficked to Los Angeles. Through her journey of discovering the truth she transforms and is made new. A lovely read.
September 29, 2022
María Amparo Escandón's writing is so singular. This was a gripping book with a lot going on, I can't wait to discuss it with the buddy read buddies.
November 3, 2012
Esperanza Díaz has just lost her twelve-year- old daughter to an unexplained, sudden virus.
When Esperanza last saw her Blanca she had been in the hospital to have her tonsils removed and had been fully recovered to the extent that she was about to come home, when she is suddenly reported dead. The night of the funeral Esperanza experiences a vision from San Judas Tadeo, patron saint of desperate cases, when he appears on her greasy oven window. (See there is a reason not to clean these things!) He tells her that her daughter is not dead... She pieces together that Blanca was kidnapped by the doctor (who is also mysteriously dead) and sold as a prostitute. Esperanza sets off with her box of saints to look for dirty ovens and her daughter. Soledad, her friend since childhood and godmother to Blanca, does not share this same religious fervor and fears that Esperanza is in extreme grief and denial. As the reader, I make no judgements.
This story of Esperanza's quest to find her daughter is truly fun. It takes her from her native town in Vera Cruz to Tijuana, then to the Mexican side of LA and finally back home again. The humor of her innocence, the language of her thoughts and the colorfulness of her prayers are truly enjoyable. I loved every word of Esperanza's dialog with her priest and the priest's dialog with God, her encounters with men at the brothels and her prayers to the saints. This book is a perfect example of the magical realism that sets the Latin American books apart from the rest of the world.
When Esperanza last saw her Blanca she had been in the hospital to have her tonsils removed and had been fully recovered to the extent that she was about to come home, when she is suddenly reported dead. The night of the funeral Esperanza experiences a vision from San Judas Tadeo, patron saint of desperate cases, when he appears on her greasy oven window. (See there is a reason not to clean these things!) He tells her that her daughter is not dead... She pieces together that Blanca was kidnapped by the doctor (who is also mysteriously dead) and sold as a prostitute. Esperanza sets off with her box of saints to look for dirty ovens and her daughter. Soledad, her friend since childhood and godmother to Blanca, does not share this same religious fervor and fears that Esperanza is in extreme grief and denial. As the reader, I make no judgements.
This story of Esperanza's quest to find her daughter is truly fun. It takes her from her native town in Vera Cruz to Tijuana, then to the Mexican side of LA and finally back home again. The humor of her innocence, the language of her thoughts and the colorfulness of her prayers are truly enjoyable. I loved every word of Esperanza's dialog with her priest and the priest's dialog with God, her encounters with men at the brothels and her prayers to the saints. This book is a perfect example of the magical realism that sets the Latin American books apart from the rest of the world.
December 12, 2013
In the book Esperanza's Box of Saints, the setting took place in many different places. It took place in Tijuana Mexico and In many different little places in California. The setting is very scary because the narrator describes how both places are very dangerous and how Tijuana is a really bad country to be in because it is a prostitution city. The books main character is Esperanza, she is a very beautiful lady and she is very brave. She is the mother of her lost daughter Blanca. I really like Esperanza because no matter what obstacle comes her way when trying to find her daughter, she never gives up she tries and tries even harder every time. Esperanza daughter Blanca was getting her tonsils taken out and she came out of the surgery fine but a few hours later the doctor says that she caught a virus that they can not find out about and Blanca dies. Esperanza is sitting on her kitchen floor starring at her oven window and her favorite saint San Judas appears and tells her that her daughter is not dead. Esperanza then goes to the hospital and ask to speak to the doctor who operated her daughter and believe it or not he quit working there the day after Blancas surgery. She then thinks that her daughter was put in child prostitution. Esperanza then travels to Tijuana and California putting herself through so much danger just to find her daughter.
March 28, 2010
Esperanza's Box of Saints is a literary masterpiece. The story focuses on Esperanza, a young, Mexican widow from the small time of Tlacotalpan, Veracruz who embarks on a journey to find her daughter. The story takes place in Tlacotalpan, Tijuana, and the busy streets of Los Angeles. Esperanza faces many obstacles in her remarkable journey to locate her daughter. The many struggles are at time serious, emotional, spiritual, and humorous. Esperanza also carries around her Box of Saints that signify her deeply religious and spiritual soul. This book made me looks deep into my own religious thoughts and feelings. I learned a lot about Mexico and the Mexican culture that I did not know before. In the end, the book left me with the message that a person should never lose hope because everything happens for a reason, it's called destiny. Many great things are better left unseen because the experience itself can change your life. A must read for all.
December 26, 2013
Again, a book club book that I was way behind on. I had trouble with this book, but I liked certain aspects of it. Overall, though, I struggled with the choices she made and thought about 40 pages before the end of the book, the tone completely changed and it seemed a different book. Then it morphed back to the rest of the story.
I had hoped for more from this book, so I was a bit disappointed, but I did enjoy the altar's importance and the message of faith. It was also interesting that my feelings about whether or not she would find her daughter changed throughout the book...another reflection of faith and hope and how these things can sometimes falter and rise.
"The cemetery was crowded with family members who had gone to a better life." ~p.57 I love this because it gave me an image I had never had about a cemetery, first thinking about the family members above ground, keeping each other company, and then realizing she was talking about those already gone.
I had hoped for more from this book, so I was a bit disappointed, but I did enjoy the altar's importance and the message of faith. It was also interesting that my feelings about whether or not she would find her daughter changed throughout the book...another reflection of faith and hope and how these things can sometimes falter and rise.
"The cemetery was crowded with family members who had gone to a better life." ~p.57 I love this because it gave me an image I had never had about a cemetery, first thinking about the family members above ground, keeping each other company, and then realizing she was talking about those already gone.
February 22, 2017
One of my MOST favorite books - and is a joy to read over and over. Scribner Paperback Fiction Reading Group Guide describes it like this: A magical, humorous, and passion-filled odyssey about a beautiful young widow's search for her missing child - a mission that takes her from a humble Mexican village to the rowdy brothels of Tijuana and a rarely seen side of Los Angeles. But it's not just a geographical journey -- it's also a journey of self-discovery. And Self-recovery, I say.
It is at times touching, funny, preposterous, amazing and thought provoking. There is as much spiritual belief as there is bawdiness, and it all works seamlessly. Every character in the book we have know as we've lived our life with its ups and downs. And the gloriously-feathered Angel of Justice as he enters the wrestling ring is just too hysterical.
Such a book! How wonderful to find a writer like Escandon.
It is at times touching, funny, preposterous, amazing and thought provoking. There is as much spiritual belief as there is bawdiness, and it all works seamlessly. Every character in the book we have know as we've lived our life with its ups and downs. And the gloriously-feathered Angel of Justice as he enters the wrestling ring is just too hysterical.
Such a book! How wonderful to find a writer like Escandon.
November 19, 2021
Some of my favorite books are the ones I find off the beaten path. Esperanza’s Box of Saints has just under 1,500 reviews on Goodreads. I found it while perusing my local bookstore. The first thing that drew me to the book was the cover. Of course, that made me pick it up to read the back.
The story follows a young mother who loses her daughter suddenly during a routine medical procedure. Overcome with grief, the mother begins having visions and many people in her town suspect her of going crazy. Believing her daughter is still alive, one of the visions sends her on a journey to find her. The story is absurd at times but I believe the author is demonstrating the depths that mothers are willing to go for their children and the magnitude that grief can carry in one’s life. I really enjoyed this book and would recommended to anyone looking for a something to read about loss, grief, and hope.
The story follows a young mother who loses her daughter suddenly during a routine medical procedure. Overcome with grief, the mother begins having visions and many people in her town suspect her of going crazy. Believing her daughter is still alive, one of the visions sends her on a journey to find her. The story is absurd at times but I believe the author is demonstrating the depths that mothers are willing to go for their children and the magnitude that grief can carry in one’s life. I really enjoyed this book and would recommended to anyone looking for a something to read about loss, grief, and hope.
October 16, 2010
Esperanza was told that her 12 year old daughter died during a tonsillectomy
procedure. Esperanza does not believe it. She is visited by a Saint who tells her that her daughter is not dead, but has been kidnapped.
This story asks the question: How far will a mother go to be with her child again? It is a break from the Latin American tradition of magic realism, but still represents the many facets of Mexican Folk Culture. As Mexican folk art and celebrations such as Day of the Dead become increasingly popular in this region, Esperanza’s Box of Saints is the perfect introduction to the superstitions and beliefs of Mexico.
procedure. Esperanza does not believe it. She is visited by a Saint who tells her that her daughter is not dead, but has been kidnapped.
This story asks the question: How far will a mother go to be with her child again? It is a break from the Latin American tradition of magic realism, but still represents the many facets of Mexican Folk Culture. As Mexican folk art and celebrations such as Day of the Dead become increasingly popular in this region, Esperanza’s Box of Saints is the perfect introduction to the superstitions and beliefs of Mexico.
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