Esperanza Rising is a critically acclaimed 2000 young adult historical fiction novel written by American writer Pam Muñoz Ryan. Set in the 1930's during the Great Depression, the story takes place in two main locations: a big, lovely vineyard in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and then in a farm camp in Arvin, California. The novel tells the story of Esperanza Ortega—a rich thirteen-year-old girl who loses her father, her house, and her wealth and is forced to move to California with the rest of her family, where she must adapt to her new life as a "peasant" working on a farm. The author incorporates a plethora of socially relevant themes, such as culture, friendship, family, wealth, poverty and social status, hope, justice, and the true meaning of home and happiness.