Esperanza has lived a privileged life in post-revolutionary Mexico, but her luck changes when her father is murdered by bandits. The family ranch falls into the hands of her heartless uncle, who wants to marry Esperanza's mother and send Esperanza away.

To escape this fate, Mama, Esperanza, and their three faithful servants flee to California. After a long trip on a dirty train, they arrive at a migrant workers camp. The squalid, overcrowded cabin Esperanza and Mama must live in is more like a horse stall than a home, and Esperanza is miserable.

Then an intense dust storm strikes and Mama becomes very sick. Even though she's too young, Esperanza will have to work in the fields to earn money to pay for Mama's medical bills. The labor is backbreaking, and Esperanza lives in constant fear of being caught and sent back to Mexico. Fortunately, her will is strong, and so is the community she is growing to love.

But the risks keep mounting. A dangerous workers' strike looms, and Esperanza faces prejudice everywhere she turns. Can she endure her grueling new life? Will her mother recover?

The human spirit is dealt some harsh blows—but refuses to die—in this powerfully written book about struggle, survival, and family.