The Question and Answer section for Esperanza Rising is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
From the text:
Miguel’s reward, that day-long train ride to Zacatecas, seemed like yesterday. Miguel had been eight and Esperanza five. She wore the beautiful blue silk dress and could still see Miguel standing at the station, wearing a bow tie...
From the text we can infer that the pinata's insides were lying half buried in the ground.
Something colorful caught her eye. Dangling from a tree branch were the remnants of the little donkey piñata that she had given the children, its tissue...
I think that she longs for her old life back and wants to believe she could have it in some way:
You see, this is only temporary. We will not be here for long."
