The Circuit

By Francisco Jiménez

Book #1 in the Francisco series

A family's journey through hardship and hope in search of a better life.

4.1/5 Goodreads · 8,072 ratings

134 pages· 14,018 words· Est. 1.5 hour read

$16.95Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

In a Mexican border town, a father helps his family cross into the U.S., beginning a life of impermanence and struggle. Young Panchito grows amidst labor camps, picking crops and facing poverty. As the family expands from four to ten, they endure with faith and resilience. These intertwined stories reveal the challenges and triumphs of a migrant family, offering a poignant glimpse into their relentless pursuit of a better future. Will their dreams withstand the harsh realities of their circuitous journey?

From the publisher

After dark in a Mexican border town, a father holds open a hole in a wire fence as his wife and two small boys crawl through.So begins life in the United States for many people every day. And so begins this collection of twelve autobiographical stories by Santa Clara University professor Francisco Jiménez, who at the age of four illegally crossed the border with his family in 1947.”The Circuit,” the story of young Panchito and his trumpet, is one of the most widely anthologized stories in Chicano literature. At long last, Jiménez offers more about the wise, sensitive little boy who has grown into a role model for subsequent generations of immigrants.These independent but intertwined stories follow the family through their circuit, from picking cotton and strawberries to topping carrots–and back agai–over a number of years. As it moves from one labor camp to the next, the little family of four grows into ten. Impermanence and poverty define their lives. But with faith, hope, and back-breaking work, the family endures.”A jewel of a book”–Rolando Hinojosa-Smith”These stories are so realistic they choke the heart.”–Rudolfo Anaya