Review by vtalus07 -- Road to Delano by John DeSimone
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vtalus07
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- Latest Review: Road to Delano by John DeSimone
Review by vtalus07 -- Road to Delano by John DeSimone
[Following is a volunteer review of "Road to Delano" by John DeSimone.]
John DeSimone's book, The Road To Delano is a very thought provoking book that makes you think about the long hard battles that migrant workers have had to face. The book's premise is based on a California grape growing community. It starts off with a young man with a dream. He takes an interesting path to make his dream come true, building a successful grape growing establishment and married the woman of his dreams.
However, life doesn't go according to plan. As the young man starts to stand up for what he believes in, the safety and equal rights of the migrant workers, he mysteriously ends up dying. Police reports say one thing, but others believe another. His family is forced to sell off all of their acres of grapes, and is essentially forced into poverty. When Jack is off to sell the last large piece of equipment that might put them ahead of the bank for a bit, life takes an interesting turn, and Jack starts learning more about his father's past.
Jack, an all star baseball player with the chance of a scholarship to play college ball, really digs deep inside of himself, and takes a look at how the grape grower's and their mobs, affect his community. Jack tries hard to figure out what is right, a lot for a high school senior to take on. He witnesses the racial inequalities that his community suffers, including his best friend.
Jack’s pivotal moment is when he meets Cesar Chavez. Cesar gives Jack the courage to think about how this gang of growers is affecting people. “I’m sending you. You must figure it out, what to do. That’s the nature of nonviolence, Jack. It requires we use creativity God has given us to solve our problems. It doesn’t take a genius to use your fists. Violence is the easy way out. It takes courage, brains, and hard work to be creative. To find another way.” Cesar knows that nonviolence is not the answer, and goes on a hunger strike to prove his point.
The Road To Delano opens up some great discussion about inequalities between people. Many of these still thoughts are still happening in our communities today. It makes the reader think about things they’ve never fathomed, thinking about the process of how our food gets to our tables. This book forces readers to examine how they treat people, and the injustices people face. The author uses such strong, powerful language, that it's extremely easy to create a clear picture in your mind of what is going on. I think that readers of historical fiction and non-fiction may enjoy this piece, as it's based on historical times. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 for the author's amazing craft, the way he uses his words to take you on a journey.
******
Road to Delano
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
John DeSimone's book, The Road To Delano is a very thought provoking book that makes you think about the long hard battles that migrant workers have had to face. The book's premise is based on a California grape growing community. It starts off with a young man with a dream. He takes an interesting path to make his dream come true, building a successful grape growing establishment and married the woman of his dreams.
However, life doesn't go according to plan. As the young man starts to stand up for what he believes in, the safety and equal rights of the migrant workers, he mysteriously ends up dying. Police reports say one thing, but others believe another. His family is forced to sell off all of their acres of grapes, and is essentially forced into poverty. When Jack is off to sell the last large piece of equipment that might put them ahead of the bank for a bit, life takes an interesting turn, and Jack starts learning more about his father's past.
Jack, an all star baseball player with the chance of a scholarship to play college ball, really digs deep inside of himself, and takes a look at how the grape grower's and their mobs, affect his community. Jack tries hard to figure out what is right, a lot for a high school senior to take on. He witnesses the racial inequalities that his community suffers, including his best friend.
Jack’s pivotal moment is when he meets Cesar Chavez. Cesar gives Jack the courage to think about how this gang of growers is affecting people. “I’m sending you. You must figure it out, what to do. That’s the nature of nonviolence, Jack. It requires we use creativity God has given us to solve our problems. It doesn’t take a genius to use your fists. Violence is the easy way out. It takes courage, brains, and hard work to be creative. To find another way.” Cesar knows that nonviolence is not the answer, and goes on a hunger strike to prove his point.
The Road To Delano opens up some great discussion about inequalities between people. Many of these still thoughts are still happening in our communities today. It makes the reader think about things they’ve never fathomed, thinking about the process of how our food gets to our tables. This book forces readers to examine how they treat people, and the injustices people face. The author uses such strong, powerful language, that it's extremely easy to create a clear picture in your mind of what is going on. I think that readers of historical fiction and non-fiction may enjoy this piece, as it's based on historical times. I rate this book a 4 out of 4 for the author's amazing craft, the way he uses his words to take you on a journey.
******
Road to Delano
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Road to Delano by John DeSimone
