Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Lupus, the oldest of eight siblings, is used to taking the lead- and staying busy behind the scenes to help keep everyone together but when she discovers mami has been diagnosed with cancer. Lupita is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother the anchor of their close-knit Mexican-American family. Suddenly Lupita must face a whole new set of challenges with new roles to play and no one is handling her script.