First published 1993
Tigre has always been a boy doing boy's work. But when his father suffers a severe injury in an accident, everything changes overnight. The family's survival depends on planting and harvesting their corn crop, both to feed themselves and to honor the Mayan gods who demand their devotion. His mother and grandmother cannot handle the backbreaking labor alone. The neighbors are busy with their own fields and cannot spare the time. At twelve years old, Tigre has never shouldered a man's responsibilities. He must learn to work the land his father once tended, racing against the seasons to bring in the harvest that will keep his family alive. As he struggles with tasks beyond his experience, Tigre discovers what it truly means to carry the weight of others' survival on his young shoulders.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, agriculture, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Mayan
Period: 20th-century
88 pages · Paperback · Puffin Books