Under the Same Sky

Under the Same Sky

Author: Cynthia Defelice

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (2003)

ISBN: 9780374480653

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Summary: Joe Pedersen wants a motorbike for his fourteenth birthday. His dad provides the opportunity for Joe to work on the family farm with the migrant help to earn money for the motorbike. Joe changes over the summer as he learns to work, falls in love, and becomes closer to his dad.

Review: First, it must be noted that this book is not particularly well written. Occasionally I would be jolted out of the story by a few lines that were not well written or entirely believable. It was bearable but definitely not award worthy.

On the other hand, this book also contained many positive aspects. First, the subject matter is quite apropos to today. One of the main themes is illegal immigrants and migrant farm workers. The main character, a fourteen year old boy, has never really associated with or gotten to know any of the migrant workers on his father’s farm. Over the summer he finds these particular workers to be hard working, kind, and friendly. The majority of the workers on the Pedersen farm are there legally, but a few are not. The I.N.S. pays a surprise visit to the farm one day but does not make any arrests. This makes the workers who are there illegally very nervous and gives Joe cause to think about some political issues that he has never thought about before.

Joe also learns the value of hard work. Working out in the fields all day is no piece of cake. He plants cabbage, picks strawberries, and hoes and weeds many other fields. At first he cannot keep up with the other workers, but he is determined to stick with it. Because of his experiences during the summer of his fourteenth year, Joe is more compassionate and thoughtful. He is also in much better shape!