The House on Mango Street has sat on my shelf for years and years. Finishing it today, I'm kicking myself for waiting to read this masterpiece. It's simple and quick but it details so well the melancholy and small pockets of joy growing up provides us. Having grown up in a smart situation to Esparanza, I felt all the highs and lows especially in my core. The vignettes painted a rich story, even better than pages and pages of exposition could. These windows into real life let you imagine the blanks and feel all the feelings. What a wonderful book.