The House on Mango Street
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3.8 • 929 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A TODAY SHOW #ReadWithJenna BOOK CLUB PICK
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A coming-of-age classic about a young girl growing up in Chicago • Acclaimed by critics, beloved by readers of all ages, taught in schools and universities alike, and translated around the world—from the winner of the 2025 Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle.
“Cisneros draws on her rich [Latino] heritage...and seduces with precise, spare prose, creat[ing] unforgettable characters we want to lift off the page. She is not only a gifted writer, but an absolutely essential one.” —The New York Times Book Review
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 heartbreaking, sometimes joyous—Cisneros’s masterpiece is a classic story of childhood and self-discovery and one of the greatest neighborhood novels of all time. Like Sinclair Lewis’s 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. This gorgeous coming-of-age novel is a celebration of the power of telling one’s story and of being proud of where you're from.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We loved The House on Mango Street, a short but sweet coming-of-age novel. Esperanza Cordero is a Latina girl in Chicago; her story’s told in poetic vignettes that showcase her yearning for a better life and a home like the ones she sees on TV. Sandra Cisneros’ brilliantly written book is both funny and heart-wrenching, exploring themes like poverty and chauvinism. She brings to life the different characters who inhabit Esperanza’s world and celebrates the gift of writing, which ultimately lets her protagonist spread her wings and be free.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Esperanza Cordero, a girl coming of age in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago, uses poems and stories to express thoughts and emotions about her oppressive environment. no PW review
Customer Reviews
See AllGripping, inspiring, and humble.
Reading this book made me want to write. It touched my heart with the simple stories told from the perspective of a child, so meaningful to an adult. My teenager was recommended this book by her teacher, I'm so glad we share our favorite books.
House on mango street
Amazing book. Love it.
The House on Mango Street review
The novel "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros is a very realistic book that I think people should read because unlike other books were the characters are perfect and live great perfect lives. It is a life of an ordinary girl who has many things going on in her life mentally and physically. She wants to have a nice pretty name and be pretty and have nice things. But is not narcissistic or selfish at all just dreaming. She wants to live somewhere nice and be alone and independent. But not completely ghost herself from the world. People tell her things and say she has a beautiful unique name that is being caried on to another generation. She doesn't want to carry the generation with the name though. Esperanza is meant to be a confusing long name for people who are sad and do nothing and sit at home with their sad loneliness. She meets many people and different daily challenges. Lucy, Rachel, are her friends from Texas that she's with usually on the daily. And her younger sister Nenny. Sally is her best friend but the opposite of Esperanza because, as Esperanza says, she is pretty and gets the boys and is popular and etc. Her house is red and crippling into the ground slow as can be, getting eaten up by the ground. With brown all around, and dark alleys and corners with few lights at night. It is a vignette told story but they do connect and you will under stand it and feel Esperanza's life and emotions. I definitely recommeand it. "¡Afortunado! Lucky! Lucky the generation who grew up with Esperanza and The House on mango street. And lucky future readers. This is funny, beautiful book will always be with us."-Maxine Hong Kingston says.
I will translate in Spanish too because this book is also written in Spanish so people can read my review who are bilingual.
La novela "La casa en la calle del mango" de Sandra Cisneros es un libro muy realista que creo que la gente debe leer porque a diferencia de otros libros eran los personajes son perfectos y viven grandes vidas perfectas. Es una vida de una chica normal que tiene muchas cosas pasando en su vida mental y físicamente. Ella quiere tener un bonito nombre bonito y ser bonita y tener cosas buenas. Pero no es narcisista ni egoísta en absoluto soñando. Quiere vivir en un lugar agradable y estar sola e independiente. Pero no completamente fantasma del mundo. La gente le dice cosas y dice que tiene un nombre único y hermoso que se está transmitiendo a otra generación. Ella no quiere llevar a la generación con el nombre sin embargo. Esperanza está destinado a ser un confuso nombre largo para las personas que están tristes y no hacer nada y sentarse en casa con su triste soledad. Conoce a muchas personas y diferentes desafíos diarios. Lucy, Rachel, son sus amigas de Texas con las que suele estar en el diario. Y su hermana menor, Nenny. Sally es su mejor amiga, pero lo contrario de Esperanza porque, como dice Esperanza, es bonita y recibe a los niños y es popular y etc. Su casa es roja y paralizante en el suelo lo más lento posible, siendo devorada por el suelo. Con marrón todo alrededor, y los callejones y las esquinas oscuros con pocas luces en la noche. Se trata de una viñeta contada historia, pero se conectan y lo entenderá y sentir la vida de Esperanza y las emociones. Definitivamente recommeand. "¡Afortunado, Lucky, Lucky, la generación que creció con Esperanza y The House en la calle de mango y afortunados futuros lectores.Esto es divertido, hermoso libro siempre estará con nosotros." - Maxine Hong Kingston dice.