Reviews

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

blferdig's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 ⭐️ good story.

tristhenerd's review against another edition

5.0

I loved the non-linear timeline and I feel that the story greatly benefited from this aspect. I hate how little I knew about immigration before reading this book but it is a must read if you want to learn more.

amd2001's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Please read this book. I don’t have the words to describe how tragically beautiful this book was, please read it.

angelicambrent's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

heidi920's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

thechanelmuse's review against another edition

On the heels of 15-year-old Talia breaking out of a correctional facility run by nuns in the mountains of Colombia, Infinite Country takes an intimate look at a mixed-status family separated for decades between Bogotá, Colombia and the U.S., who endure the twists and turns of the choices they make in hopes of refuge.

This multi-layered literary novel is under 200 pages and packs the punch, reading like nonfiction and showing the effects of criminalizing and/or stripping away the humanity from people in various situations, relegating them to an "other" or seeing through them altogether. Patricia Engel beautifully adds sprinkles of allegory through carried Andean mythology throughout. Sometimes all we have left is the stories we retain to get us through.

giugiufio's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

keatynbergsten's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was one of those short books that felt like the author found the sweet spot of telling a story in a beautiful concise way without anything extra.  A heartbreaking story of a family torn apart for years by American immigration policy and the lengths they go to remain a family and get back together.  I found this novel particularly interesting having read Jonathan Blitzer’s nonfiction book “Everyone Who is Gone Is Here” earlier in the year where he covers the migration crisis in great detail through investigative journalism.  

elnechnntt's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

fromthegarden's review

emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated