Julia Alvarez worked with real life migrant workers and dairy farmers, which is where she got the idea for this book in the first place. There’s a great exhibit up at the Vermont Folklife Center website that has photographs and interviews of the people that Julia Alvarez worked with. It is really interesting! You can check out the exhibit here!
Posts Tagged ‘Return to Sender’
Mexican Migrant Workers and Vermont Dairy Farmers
Posted: October 22, 2011 by greerrachele in UncategorizedTags: Alvarez, farming, Mexico, migrant workers, online exhibits, oral history, photographs, Return to Sender, Vermont, vermont folklife center
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Town Hall Meetings
Posted: October 20, 2011 by greerrachele in UncategorizedTags: customs, neighbors, Return to Sender, town hall meetings, traditions, Vermont
From the Vermont Secretary of State website:
“On Town Meeting Day, the first Tuesday in March, citizens across Vermont come together in their communities to discuss the business of their towns. For over 200 years Town Meeting Day has been an important political event as Vermonters elect local officers and vote on budgets. It has also been a time for neighbors to discuss the civic issues of their community, state, and nation.”
What did you think of Town Meeting Day? Is there anything similar in your community?
Memories
Posted: October 18, 2011 by greerrachele in UncategorizedTags: customs, Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, Grandparents, Mexico, missing people, Return to Sender, traditions
Throughout the book, Tyler and his family are missing Grandpa, who has just passed away. In fact, his Grandma is really distraught. When Mari and her sisters introduce Grandma to the Mexican way of remembering the dead, she feels better. Even though it seems strange to Tyler at first, the display she sets up with items that remind her of Grandpa make her feel so much better. Here is a picture of a Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration. What about you? When you miss someone, does it help you to have items around that remind you of them?
Interview with the Author!
Posted: October 15, 2011 by greerrachele in UncategorizedTags: Alvarez, radio interview, Return to Sender, seven sisters, vermont public radio
Seven Sisters
Hear the author read from the book!
Posted: October 12, 2011 by greerrachele in UncategorizedTags: Alvarez, narrators, reading out loud, Return to Sender
Check it out! Julia Alvarez reads from the book. Do you like hearing the words in her voice? Or did you already have a voice in your head that was different?
La Golondrina (The Swallow)
Posted: October 11, 2011 by greerrachele in UncategorizedTags: Alvarez, birds, La Golondrina, music, Return to Sender, soundtracks to reading
Barn Swallow Photo by sannse, North Devon, 14 May 2004
On her website, Julia Alvarez talks about a soundtrack for Return to Sender. She lists special songs that meant a lot to her while she was writing the book. One of them, that Mari mentions frequently, is “La Golondrina” which means swallow in English. Check out this video of Placido Domingo singing the song. You can even listen while you read to create atmosphere!
What do you think? How did the song make you feel? What images did it bring to mind?
