1. Parrot in the Oven mi vida
A novel by
Victor Martinez

2. Awards:
National Book Award WINNER

3. Characters Manuel: Main character Nardo: Manuel’s older brother
Mom and Dad: Manuel’s parents
Magda and Pedi: Manuel’s Sisters

4. Plot Diagram
Climax
Conflict
Rising Actions
Resolution
Basic Situation

5. Basic Situation Nardo and Manny are picking
chilies in the field when the
I.N.S arrive. The I.N.S arrest
the illegals and Manny and
Nardo hide from the I.N.S
until they leave. They take all
the chili peppers and sell them
for money.

6. Rising Actions Manny’s dad takes all the money they earned and left
to Rico’s pool house
(a bar in town) and spent
all their money

7. Conflict:
Manny’s dad has been at the pool hall for one week without going home.
His Wife gets worried and goes to the pool hall to bring him home.
She embarrasses him in front of all his friends.
Sixteen year old Magda gets pregnant without her dad noticing.

8. Climax
When they get home, Manuel’s mom decides to go to a friends house to do her hair. After a few minuets, her husband appears in the window with a gun. He starts shooting but cant hit her. A neighbor called the cops and when they arrived, Manny’s dad hid the gun but still got arrested. When he got out of jail, both Manny’s dad and mom decided never to embarrass or hurt each other again.

9. Resolution
Will Manny’s parents hold their promise? What will happen to Magda? Will their lives ever be the same?

10. About the Author
Victor Martinez was born in Fresno, California, the forth of a family of twelve children. He has worked jobs as a field laborer, welder, truck driver, firefighter, teacher, and office clerk.

11. The End!!