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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This was heartbreaking and beautiful and relatable just on a human level.
A tightly drawn portrait of a mixed status family navigating between Colombia and the US. Accomplishes so much in so few pages, it almost left me wanting more.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A beautiful portrait of a family split apart by arbitrary borders and the irony of the American Dream.
A powerful insight into the mind of the immigrant, and the ways in which immigration and oppression serve to destroy but sometimes strengthen family. Engel is a gifted writer who offers a complex story, with an ending that was a surprise to me for reasons I won't share (spoiler), and because it completely thwarted my expectations, given the nature of the story.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An eye-opening and heartbreaking look at the shortcomings of the “American dream” for an intergenerational Columbian immigrant family. Mauro and Elena leave Bogotá in search a better life for their young family but they find out life in America is far from ideal for undocumented immigrants. While Elena wants to return, Mauro insists the key to a better life lies in America. Sadly Mauro ends up being deported, fracturing their family and Elena is forced to make an unimaginably difficult choice in order to hang on to the hope for a better life in America for her children. Engel does an incredible job bringing to life the hard choices faced by undocumented immigrants, especially women, in deciding to leave their homes and the struggles faced to survive once in America. A very timely and unforgettable story, recommended for fans of America dirt or Behold the dreamers.
Favourite quotes:
“What was it about this country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy?”
“I’ve had borders drawn around me all my life but I refuse to live as a bordered person. I hate the term undocumented.”
Content warning: racism, rape and child separation.
Favourite quotes:
“What was it about this country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy?”
“I’ve had borders drawn around me all my life but I refuse to live as a bordered person. I hate the term undocumented.”
Content warning: racism, rape and child separation.