The House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street is one of the most cherished novels of the last fifty

years. Readers from all walks of life have fallen for the voice of Esperanza

Cordero, growing up in Chicago and inventing for herself who and what she will

become. “In English my name means hope,” she says. “In Spanish it means too

many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting."

Told in a series of vignettes—sometimes heart breaking, sometimes

joyous—Cisneros’s masterpiece is a classic story of childhood and

self-discovery. It is also one of the greatest neighbourhood novels of all time.

Like Sinclair Lewis’ Main Street or Toni Morrison’s Sula, it makes a world

through people and their voices, and it does so in language that is poetic and

direct. Acclaimed by critics, a staple in schools, translated into dozens of

languages, this gorgeous coming-of-age novel is a celebration of the power of

telling one’s story and of being proud of where you come from.