It is the middle of the Great Depression and Pedra’s father has died. There is not enough money for her, her step-mother, and her brother and sister to survive, so she must drop out of school and join her mother in shelling pecans.

The work is hard, and it pays very little. Pedra desperately wants to go back to school, but knows she must do this to help her family survive. She works hard, but when the pay is cut, the works go on strike, with the help of a local union leader.

The union leader in the book is real, as are the pecan shellers, which the author’s mother and grandmother were. And there were 13 year olds, such as Pedra, working in the factories.

I love historical fiction, because it often gives you a look at a time and palace you know knowing about. In this case, the 1930s, San Antonio, Texas, where the poorest of the poor work for pennies a day.

I very much liked Pedra as a character, though she started out naive, she grew stronger and more worldly as the story went on.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published on the 1st of April 2025.