The Pecan Sheller

A powerful and personal glimpse of a little-known historical turning point through one girl's struggle to carve out a life of her choosing



In 1930s San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra dreams of going to college and becoming a writer.



But with her beloved father dead, two younger siblings to care for, and with a stepmother struggling to make ends meet, Petra has to drop out of school to shell pecans at a factory. Hoping it's only temporary, she tries not to despair over the grueling work conditions. But after the unhealthy environment leads to tragedy and workers' already low wages are cut, Petra knows things need to change. She and her coworkers go on strike for higher wages and safer conditions, risking everything they have for the hope of a better future.