LitPick Review
Sarafina Garcia thinks that her grandmother hates her. She does not understand why her mother is so secretive about her past. It all begins with a genealogy assignment at school; all she knows is that the Garcia family is from Chihuahua, Mexico. It is up to Sara to uncover her family secrets. Mom says, “Your father is dead…don’t go digging up old bones,” and her grandmother passed away last spring.
While completing research at the library, she stumbles into a friend who has not been in school for a while. Together they discover broken branches (bits and pieces of their past) and start to put together their family histories. The question is, will she be able to handle the truth?
Opinion:
This is a book about faith and strong women. It starts a little slow setting up the story, but then the action falls into place and keeps the reader wanting to know more. Villareal uses the analogy of weighed down and broken branches with strong roots to explain that even though some families experience pain and despair, with God all things work for the good. This book shows that finding one's identity may sometimes be hard, but it helps one grow strong.
