How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"When can we start work?" Papá asked, rubbing his hands.
"In two weeks," the foreman answered.
"That can't be!" Papá exclaimed, shaking his head. "We were told we'd find work right away."
"I am sorry, the strawberries won't be ready to pick until then," the foreman responded, shrugging his shoulders and walking away. (1.26-29)
Right off the bat, we learn that time is going to be super important in this book. Because Francisco's family works in fields picking strawberries, grapes, and cotton, their work schedule is governed by the seasons—and that means that the time of year makes a huge difference for what kind of work they can do. Or whether they can find work at all. So when they first arrive in California and the strawberries aren't ready to be harvested, they have to wait to start their new jobs. Keep an eye out for other moments where the seasons dictate their work schedules.
Quote #2
It was late January and we had just returned a week before, from Corcoran, where my family picked cotton. We settled in Tent City, a labor camp owned by Sheehey Strawberry Farms located about ten miles east of Santa Maria. (3.4)
Even just a couple chapters into this book, we can already tell that Francisco and his family are going to move around a lot. Scratch that: sometimes it feels like they're moving all the time. And since they're traveling to places depending on the crops that are grown, they don't always have a choice about where to go. So when it's time for cotton, his family heads to Corcoran, and when it's strawberry season in Santa Maria, that's where Francisco's family goes.
Quote #3
To make ends meet, Mamá cooked for twenty farm workers who lived in Tent City. She made their lunches and had supper ready for them when they returned from picking strawberries at the end of the day. She would get up at four o'clock every morning, seven days a week, to make the tortillas for both meals. On weekends and all during the summer, Roberto and I helped her. Once Papá left for work, Roberto rolled the tacos while I wrapped them in wax paper and put them in lunch bags. At eleven-thirty, Roberto carried the twenty lunches in a box and delivered them, on foot, to the workers, who were given half an hour for lunch. When he returned, he and I washed dishes in a large aluminum tub. We then took care of our younger brother, Trampita, while Mamá took a nap. Around three o'clock she would start cooking dinner, which was served from six to seven. After supper, Roberto and I again cleaned the pots and washed dishes while Mamá fed Trampita. On Saturdays, she did all of the grocery shopping for the week. Because we did not have an icebox, Papá made one. Every three days, he went into town to buy a large block of ice, which he wrapped in burlap and placed inside a hole he dug in the ground by the entrance to our tent. The hole was twice as large as the block of ice, leaving room on all four sides and on top for things to be kept cold. (4.4)
It's not just the time of year that's important for Francisco's family, it's the time of day, too. When Francisco and Roberto aren't in school, they've got a seriously packed schedule, just like their parents. Check out how each family member uses every minute in every day. There's no wasting time around here.