The authors of the four memoirs overcame their childhood obstacles by bonding with their families. Gary Soto’s family helped him accept working in the fields. Laurence Yep’s father helped him realize that he was loved all along. Barack Obama’s doesn’t fit in but his father helps him through it. Julia Alvarez is leaving a dangerous country and her family helps her through. The authors of the memoirs describe overcoming obstacles to teach readers that nothing is impossible to achieve. Gary Soto’s family helped him to accept working in the fields. “I let 53 dollars quietly slip from my hands.” He thought that all his money would last forever but shopping showed him that it didn’t. “Rick and I decided to take the labor bus to chop cotton.” Rick
