"Going Home" is a book that I hold very dear to my heart. It tells the story of a Mexican migrant family who drives to the small village of La Perla for Christmas after being away for many years. For the kids, it is their first time back that they can remember.
Eve Bunting's writing is beautiful and poignant as she tells the story of the family, and David Diaz's illustrations immerse you in the feeling of the Mexican landscape.
The word "opportunities" is repeated a number of times throughout the book. As we read, the kids grow to understand the sacrifices that their parents have made for them to have a better education and a future.
The ending of this book is truly magical, as the children witness a scene of their parents dancing together outside, once again feeling like themselves as they are back home.
It makes me think about two parents of multilingual learners at my school who teared up as they told me about the importance of their children's education, something they did not have the opportunity to receive themselves.
It makes me think of my own husband who sacrificed so much to move here for love, and is now raising a family in a country that is not his heartland.
It reminds me of the beauty of going home... that no matter how long we may live somewhere else, a piece of our heart always remains in our homeland.
Just a warning... have a tissue box nearby. This one is another tearjerker.
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