Review of Road to Delano
- Kira Bonita Reece
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Review of Road to Delano
Road to Delano by John DeSimone is an interesting story of a boy named Jack. Jack Duncan was born in an era when injustice toward farm workers was prevalent. From an early age, he remembered his mother being afraid to answer the phone and getting upset when she did answer it. One night, his father supposedly ran off the road and died because he was drunk. Jack was left with only his mother and a bog recession hit. Jack was on his way to sell his father's combine when he was stopped by one of his father's friends, Herm. Herm told him that his father was murdered and gave him proof. Jack wanted to know everything about his father's death since his mother only provided little information. Will Jack find out the truth? Will he be able to change the injustice going on around him?
This book was captivating from the very first pages. I was invested in the story the moment Jack's combine was stolen. The book had highly emotional scenes, some that readers can relate to. Themes of friendship, cultural differences, police brutality, and perseverance were evident in this book. They combined to make the book a great read. The characters were well-developed and full of depth. One of my favorite characters was Adrian. He belonged to a migrant family, and his father was the head of the group that was trying to lobby for their rights. Because of his ethnicity, Adrian was at a disadvantage. This did not stop him from helping Jack out, even if it meant he would go to jail. I like the theme of friendship and the bond these boys had.
I have only good things to say about this book. There wasn't a negative aspect to it. The book moved at an even pace and was highly suspenseful. I held my breath when Jack was trying to retrieve his father's combine. There were many thought-provoking moments in the book that prompted a reader to consider his or her morality. We cannot help but sympathize with the migrant families. The book takes a look at how they live in inhumane conditions just to put food on their tables.
Road to Delano was an eye-opening read. I have to give it a perfect score of 4 out of 4 stars. The author did a fantastic job of appealing to his reader's emotions. The book was also professionally edited.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the conditions migrants used to have to endure. This book is also for sports lovers. Jack and his friends are a part of a baseball team, hoping to get scholarships, so they can finally leave Delano and all its problems. Their story is inspiring.
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Road to Delano
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