Pillars of Gold and Silver

After her father is killed in the Korean War, young Blanca Estela and her mother leave California to spend the summer in Revilla, a picturesque town in northern Mexico where Blanca’s grandmother lives. But in Blanca Estela’s eyes, Revilla is far from an idyllic holiday retreat.

She misses the comforts and amenities of the United States and she speaks little Spanish, making it difficult to interact with her grandmother or with the neighborhood children. However, at the older woman’s prodding...