Release: September 14, 2010
Pages: 352
Source: Bought
Age Range: Young Adult
Tyler Paquette is a twelve year old boy, living with his parents, his older sister Sara older brother Ben and his grandmother on their farm in Vermont.
Because is father had a tractor accident, and his grandfather recently passed away recently they are forced to hire help, or the farm will not survive. The only people they can get to work on the farm are Mexican immigrants with no papers.The Cruz family is going to work on the farm of the Paquettes, and are going to live in the trailer behind the farm. The Cruz family exists of three girls: Mari (eleven years old)her younger sisters Ofie and Luby, and their father and uncle Felipe.
The mother of the girls is missing. She went missing after she tried to cross the Mexican-American border with the help of coyotes, and the family hasn't heard of her anymore since then, now eight months ago. Now the Cruz family has moved to the Paquette's farm, they left their phone number with the tenants of their old apartment. Now their are sometimes called by a mysterious caller, who doesn't say anything to them..could it be their missing mother?
Tyler worries about the Mexican workers. Are they undocumented, did his family break the law by hiring them? When Tyler and Mari meet, a friendship is born. Mari feels torn between her Mexican roots and her new life in Vermont. On one side she is terribly afraid their will be caught by la migra and send back to Mexico or be send to jail, like what happens with tio Felipe when he is driving into town with Ben, who drives to fast and is hold by the police. Felipe gets scared of the police and runs away, wich makes him instantly suspicous and is caught by the police and send to jail because he is undocumented. On the other side, Mari doesn't want to get rid of her Mexican roots. Tyler is a true friend for her during her stay at the farm, he even gets her a special birthday gift: her own star. And Tyler's grandmother suddenly isn't so lonesome after loss of her husband anymore, now she has the new company of three little Mexican girls. And then they get the news where their mother is..
Return to Sender is one of the most impressing and most beautiful books I have ever read. It has so many fabulous characters and layers, I just don't know where to start! Let's start with the characters: I loved Tyler, he is just a true and honest boy and a true friend to Mari, which was so wonderful to read. He even lends the money (fivehundred dollars) he saved for his club trip to Washington D.C. , so Mr. Cruz can save Mrs. Cruz out of the hands of some cruel gang.
Mari is a sensitive girl, who is dropped on this farm in Vermont with her sisters, tio and father. Her parts are written down in diary style, so you get a first person narrative. A very good choice of the author because with this you get a real look in her feelings and what happens to her family and in her friendship with Tyler.
This is just a book you can't put away! Recommend it to everyone, every age, as this book has just a thing for young and old, boy or girl, from every ethnicity, a true book without borders!!!
