The House on Mango Street

The House on Mango Street is a modern classic in Chicano literature and feminist studies. It tells the story of Esperanza, a 12-year-old girl growing up in Chicago circa 1980. 

Esperanza suffers from the patriarchy that dominates her impoverished Mexican-American neighborhood, and initially she aims to leave Mango Street forever. By the end of the book, however, the protagonist vows to leave but also return to help others.