Under the Mesquite

Review
By Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

[H]er voice is powerful and tremendously honest, particularly in detailing the eventual loss of her mother. The titular mesquite tree serves as both a literal reference to the tree that grows among her mother’s rose bushes and a metaphor for the tree’s renowned adaptability and ability to reach out to find sustenance. This is ultimately a coming-of-age story of a girl who manages to build on her strengths as she copes with emotional hardship, and McCall’s is a fresh new voice in Latino/a writing. An extensive glossary of names, words, and cultural references is included.