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a Puerto Rican girl from a large family who moves to New York City in the 1980s and, despite struggling to adjust to a new home and culture. In the book’s first chapter, Esmeralda is four years old. She lives with her mother Ramona, father Pablo, and two younger sisters. The family lives in Macun, Puerto Rico. Ramona gives birth to a son, Hector, and Pablo the dad is never around the house. Ramona suspects her is having an affair and the two fight often. One day, Esmeralda returns home from school to find the house packed up and her father nowhere to be seen and her mom announces they are moving to the city.

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Now living in a suburb of San Juan, the capitol city, Esmeralda is teased at school for being a “jibara,” or country bumpkin. Ramona the mom gives birth to another daughter, Alicia. After Alicia’s birth, Pablo visits the family more often, and eventually, the family goes back to Macun together. After the funeral of a friend’s grandfather, Esmeralda and her family discuss death and the human soul. The election ends and the American food disappears.

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Esmeralda’s father takes to her to spend a week with her grandmother. Her grandmother and the local women discuss women who are “jamona”. Thinking of her momand of her own pain, Esmeralda decides that being jamona is better than being married to a man. Ramona gives birth to yet another child, Raymond. Without Pablo’s financial support, Ramona must go back to work and so leaves her children in the care of Gloria, a neighbor. With Gloria busy tending the babies, Esmeralda spends her days wandering the streets and has been off with a boy

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when her mom returns from Puerto Rico she presses for Pablo to marry her, but he is reluctant. Meanwhile, Esmeralda is courted by the local boy, Johannes. Just before Esmeralda is about to turn thirteen. Esmeralda is confused, then furious that her mother hid their plans to move to America. Esmeralda journeys to America with her mother, Raymond, and sister, Edna. Pablo and the remaining children stay in Puerto Rico.

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Esmeralda later flies back to New York and soon begins 7th grade. She succesfully managed to learn english very easily and finishes the rest of school while earning a full paid scholarship to Harvard University.