Reading Changed My Life

The book Reading Changed My Life is based on three true stories by Beth Johnson. The first story of Maria Cardenas is a very sad story, she talks about her life how she struggled when she was smaller with her education. Her dad would physically abuse her as in brutally beating her and her mother. He was a heavy drinker and did not care about her education. Maria would constantly move from one school to another since her parents worked in the fields. Maria and her family settle down in one place when her father got arrested and was put in jail. One of her teachers offered her a job at a clothing stored her and her husband owned. When Maria turned sixteen her teacher recommended her for a job at a local supermarket and because of her good effort she was promoted as head cashier. Maria thought her suffering had ended when her father was put to jail and she was having the best moments of her life, her happiness ended the night she got sexually abuse by a friend of her brother that worked in the fields with her family. He offered her a ride home but instead of taking her home he sexually abused her and attacked her. This incident change Maria's life completely because she had to run away with him and she ended up pregnant. He was a heavy drinker as well and just like her father he would also beat her. Her brother convinced her to leave him and go back with him and her mother. Maria worked all day at the fields and at the supermarket so she can maintain her daughter Antonietta. Maria started reading off little kindergarten books, since she couldn't read good enough she was embarrassed when her daughter would tell her to read her a story. She started teaching her self how to read books by starting off with the book The Cat in the Hat. Later on she met Alfonso Cardenas whom she marry and had a child with him name Korak. She accomplished her goals and graduated from Edison, she enroll at Florida Gulf Coast University where she is a senior now. Today she is facing a crisis in her own health, she has Hepatitis C, despite the fact she is sick she continues going to college and recently began her student teaching in an elementary school.

Maria Cardenas story is an inspiration to Latinos because she comes from a migrant family and has struggle the way we have struggled. Despite the fact of her struggles and health she never gave up and continue with her education. I can relate to her in some ways because even though I have had obstacles in my life I don't give up easily, I keep trying my best to accomplish my goals.