"In English my name (Esperanza) means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting."
Even early on, before Esperanza was born, her father had a problem expressing himself because he didn't know English. He only ate ham and eggs because it was the only thing he could order.
Esperanza turns to writing and decides that she will use her writing to escape from the community she wants so desperately to leave.