MG Historical Fiction review of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs
Format:  E-ARC
Publisher:  Sourcebooks
Number of pages:  288
Publishing:  September 14th, 2021
Source: Publisher via Netgalley following authors request for a review.  

Opening Lines: "The smoking star lit the night sky as women wept, holding their babies close."

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna is an inspiring story of promises, determination, and one incredible girls bravery and courage as she leads her family north to safety.  It tells the story of Petra, a twelve-year- old girl who's been struggling over the loss of her mother, who died giving birth to her younger brother and whose father was taken by Federale soldiers to join the revolution.  That was six months ago, but the pain is still raw.  Papa promised Petra he would return,  since then she's been fulfilling her promise to take care of the family by collecting wood which she sells for food.  Petra has been holding on to the piece of coal he gave her, and to her dream of one day learning to read, maybe to even become a teacher.  Then one day, Federales come to their small village looking for young men to join the war, upset that the men are all gone, they burn down the village,  forcing Petra and her family to flee into the hills.  Thus begins the harrowing trek that takes Petra and her family across treeless lands, with the sun bearing down on them, and little provisions or water to even sustain them, all while hiding from the Federales and avoiding scorpions, coyotes and rattlesnakes.  

Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna was inspired by stories told to the author by her grandmother and great-grandmother growing up.  The main character, Petra Luna, was also inspired by the historical events surrounding the author's own families escape from their burning village after being attacked by Federale soldiers in 1913 during the Mexican Revolution.  Per the authors note at the end of the book, in 1913 there were over 6,000 people trying to cross over a bridge into the United States when the gates were closed.  It wasn't until the Federales showed up threatening people along the border that they were allowed entrance into the United States.   Petra's story is a heartfelt, compelling historical fiction that seems to mirror current events at the Mexican American border.  Even now refugees are enduring the harsh desert on foot, hoping to reach the border and be granted entrance to seek asylum in the United States.  Though the story is written about events that took place a long time ago, it's written in a way that is easily accessible to younger children and will help build empathy.  **Thank you to the author,  Alda P. Dobbs for suggesting the story and Sourcebooks for the review copy.**