The Pecan Sheller
Lupe Ruiz-Flores. Carolrhoda, $18.99 (256p) ISBN 979-8-7656-1052-7
When her father’s death forces Petra to leave school and shell pecans in a factory with her stepmother, Amá, the 13-year-old mourns her lost dreams of graduating and becoming a writer. In 1930s
San Antonio, Tex., many pecan factories employ mainly Mexican immigrants such as Amá, who work for pennies in poorly ventilated rooms where tuberculosis spreads. Despite her dismay at leaving school, Petra accepts her new responsibilities, including helping Amá raise her younger siblings, and soon makes friends at the factory with two girls her age. But when tragedy occurs, Petra must weigh her family’s needs with the changes promised by a strike and union, should she join other laborers’ efforts. Visceral descriptions of the financial insecurity faced by pecan shellers and police brutality encountered during the strikes are balanced by Petra’s optimistic spirit and determination to make changes for herself and her community. Using short chapters with quick pacing, Ruiz-Flores (Piece by Piece) unveils intimate and well-researched depictions of the Pecan Shellers Strike of 1938 and its impact on Mexican descendants and beyond. An author’s note provides additional historical context. Ages 10–14. Agent: Kayla Cichello, Upstart Crow Literary. (Apr.)
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Reviewed on: 01/16/2025
Genre: Children's