Under the Feet of Jesus

De: Helena Maria Viramontes

Narrado por: Nancy Ticotin

A moving and powerful novel about the lives of the men, women, and children who endure a second-class existence and labor under dangerous conditions as migrant workers in California’s fields.

At the center of this powerful tale is Estrella, a girl about to cross the perilous border to womanhood. What she knows of life comes from her mother, who has survived abandonment by her husband in a land that treats her as if she were invisible, even though she and her children pick the crops of the farms that feed its people. But within Estrella, seeds of growth and change are stirring. And in the arms of Alejo, they burst into a full, fierce flower as she tastes the joy and pain of first love. Pushed to the margins of society, she learns to fight back and is able to help the young farmworker she loves when his ambitions and very life are threatened in a harvest of death.

Infused with the beauty of the California landscape and shifting splendors of the passing seasons juxtaposed with the bleakness of poverty, this vividly imagined novel is worthy of the people it celebrates and whose story it tells so magnificently. The simple lyrical beauty of Viramontes’ prose, her haunting use of image and metaphor, and the urgency of her themes all announce Under the Feat of Jesus as a landmark work of American fiction.

Winner of the John Dos Passos Prize for Literature.

©1995 Helena Maria Viramontes (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Brilliantly executed...intense...exhibits a command of the potential magic inherent in the written word that most writers can only aspire to...a remarkable voice.” (Sunday Oregonian)

“Lyrical...a compelling debut...Viramontes displays gifts of understanding and storytelling unusual for a first novel.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“A literary feat and a powerful political statement.” (Seattle Times & Post-Intelligencer)

The Powerful Voice of A Young Girl: Estrella.

The other day, I was walking down the aisle of a grocery store, and the fruit section seemed to be perfectly color blocked like the entryway into a fabric store. What caught my eye was this giant round fruit, shrink-wrapped in plastic. I felt a question mark form in my eyebrow and the shiny plastic made me stop in my tracks to touch it. It was a giant pomelo that was primed to be sold for a lot more than an average one. Who is behind this process? When I dove into the genesis of how it got here, you immediately take into consideration that it’s usually from a hard working family- invisible in the world but a part of something much larger.
In Helena Maria Viramontes’ Under the Feet of Jesus, you will join 13-year-old Estrella as she travels with her migrant farmworker family. It’s a coming of age story that weaves the struggles of laborious work, and unfair treatment. The story is set against the backdrop of the vivid colors, and natural world within the farms of Southern California. We join Estrella as she copes with the inner dynamics of her family to discover the power of her own voice.
Yes, Estrella means “star”, but she is much more than the main character. Estrella can be symbolic of what it means to be “American”. Within her circumstance, her story is a reminder that what is fair for some may not be fair for all. Estrella illuminates h and communicates her feelings through metaphoric connections from the natural world around her.
Viramontes paints Estrella with a sensitive brush that contrasts the hardships she encounters. The simplicity of her writing sings through a tapestry of the exploration of freedom within the confines of a threatened existence. What Estrella stands for is symbolic to everyones dreams within a democracy and her voice will stay with you as you ponder how deeply we are related to her story. One of my favorite lines from the book (Viramontes p.70) is how delicate Viramontes dialogue trickles between two characters: “ -Yeah, and Estrella pointed to the bottle because she wanted to tell him how good she felt but didn’t know how to build the house of words should invite him into.” Estrella’s character really makes you feel. I think everyone will find a little bit of themselves within her beauty. You may also see the world a bit differently knowing what tribulations are encountered on the backs of many who provide the delicious things that wind up in our grocery basket.

Took me a bit to get into the rhythm then fell in love.

Viramontes describes the sounds, smells my feelings, the fairy soul of each of your characters. It’s a reader you begin to inhabit their daily lives because of the incredible attention to detail that literally puts you in their shoes. It’s hard to read this wonderful book or hear it without being a changed person.

Chicano storytelling for real

I noticed my name misspelled “…Piscadores like Florente of the islands…” on page 53 of the print version. I am honored to be part of Helena’s book after our working together at UC Irvine on the Early outreach partnership program of EOP/SAA - Educational Opportunity Program/ Student Affirmative Action…..love this very real life of immigrants struggling to make a life in America which still continues today…. God Bless them/us.
Florante Peter Ibanez UCI class of 1977 / UCLA MLIS / MA Asian American Studies class of 2006

not for me

I didn't end up finishing it bc it wasn't really my speed. just personal preference.