Sandra Cisneros, in her novel The House on Mango Street, explains a common situation nowadays involving low class families. Esperanza Cordero is a young Latina girl that used to live in a run-down apartment on the third floor. But her parents decided to move into a house down Mango Street. Esperanza encounters her new neighbors, and learns that there are more experiences in life than just sitting around in a beat up apartment staring at other people wondering where she is going to end up in the future. Esperanza learns that friends come and go, but family is there to stay.

While living on Mango Street, Esperanza witness’s action that she has never seen before such as, arrest, abuse, and sexual assault. She realizes that even the wealthy people go through what her family has been going through. Esperanza has many siblings and she tries to care for them the best way she knows how. Throughout the year Esperanza matures extensively and finds that writing is her escape. She also realizes how badly she needs to remove herself from the neighborhood.

Sandra Cisneros captures the true essence of reality and tells it like it is. Her novel The House on Mango Street, published in 1984, reveals most families situations in today’s world. This novel is perfect for teens in the coming of age.