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timhoiland's review against another edition
5.0
If you’ve been following the news about the humanitarian crisis involving unaccompanied minors from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala—the so-called “Northern Triangle” of Central America—you’ve undoubtedly seen references to “The Beast.”
This is, of course, what migrants call the series of freight trains that begin near the border between Mexico and Guatemala and head north towards the United States. Migrants risk life and limb to jump aboard these trains as they accelerate after picking up or dropping off cargo. And if the migrants are lucky—that is, if they don’t fall off, get shoved off, or otherwise get assaulted—they ride on the roof for hours, before connecting to the next train on the long journey north.
The Beast is also the title of a book by the young, award-winning Salvadoran journalist Óscar Martínez. The book is riveting and gritty, and at times it left me rattled. But for those who sense that the epithets employed by talking heads on cable news may not do justice to the human weight of the story, I highly recommend it.
It’s one thing to pontificate from a safe distance; it’s another to experience the harrowing journey aboard The Beast for yourself. And that’s exactly what Martínez did. After having a conversation with a priest who describes the migrant corridor through Mexico as “a cemetery for the nameless,” Martínez sets out to discover those names and to share their stories—you know, the kind of thing a good journalist does.
Beginning in southern Mexico and continuing all the way to various spots along the United States border, he introduces us to specific Central Americans and tells us about their lives. He accompanies them for portions of their journey, riding the train, braving the elements, sleeping in migrant shelters, dealing with coyotes, dodging narcos, asking questions. The result is a remarkably up close look at the perils of the migrant journey. As Martínez writes,
"On top of a train there aren’t journalists and migrants, there are only people hanging on. There is nothing but speed, wind, and sometimes a hoarse conversation. The roof of the cars is the floor for all, and those who fall, fall the same way. Staying on is all that matters."
I’m sure those who are reading this have a variety of views on what should be done about the nearly 60,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America who have arrived in the United States since last October. That’s understandable. After all, the causes of the crisis are complex and easy fixes will inevitably fall short. Regardless of your stance, though, I’d encourage you to learn the names and stories of at least some of the people behind the statistics. If you don’t know how to do that for yourself where you live, let Óscar Martínez introduce you to Auner, Pitbull, and El Chele. To Paola, Saúl, and Keny. To Wilber, Epifanio, and Erika—and to a number of others.
Those we meet in the pages of The Beast are not all heroes, that’s for sure, nor are they all victims. But the men, women, and children we meet are all actual human beings, and when it comes to humanitarian crises, human beings beat caricatures any day of the week.
- See more at: http://timhoiland.com/2014/08/the-beast/
This is, of course, what migrants call the series of freight trains that begin near the border between Mexico and Guatemala and head north towards the United States. Migrants risk life and limb to jump aboard these trains as they accelerate after picking up or dropping off cargo. And if the migrants are lucky—that is, if they don’t fall off, get shoved off, or otherwise get assaulted—they ride on the roof for hours, before connecting to the next train on the long journey north.
The Beast is also the title of a book by the young, award-winning Salvadoran journalist Óscar Martínez. The book is riveting and gritty, and at times it left me rattled. But for those who sense that the epithets employed by talking heads on cable news may not do justice to the human weight of the story, I highly recommend it.
It’s one thing to pontificate from a safe distance; it’s another to experience the harrowing journey aboard The Beast for yourself. And that’s exactly what Martínez did. After having a conversation with a priest who describes the migrant corridor through Mexico as “a cemetery for the nameless,” Martínez sets out to discover those names and to share their stories—you know, the kind of thing a good journalist does.
Beginning in southern Mexico and continuing all the way to various spots along the United States border, he introduces us to specific Central Americans and tells us about their lives. He accompanies them for portions of their journey, riding the train, braving the elements, sleeping in migrant shelters, dealing with coyotes, dodging narcos, asking questions. The result is a remarkably up close look at the perils of the migrant journey. As Martínez writes,
"On top of a train there aren’t journalists and migrants, there are only people hanging on. There is nothing but speed, wind, and sometimes a hoarse conversation. The roof of the cars is the floor for all, and those who fall, fall the same way. Staying on is all that matters."
I’m sure those who are reading this have a variety of views on what should be done about the nearly 60,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America who have arrived in the United States since last October. That’s understandable. After all, the causes of the crisis are complex and easy fixes will inevitably fall short. Regardless of your stance, though, I’d encourage you to learn the names and stories of at least some of the people behind the statistics. If you don’t know how to do that for yourself where you live, let Óscar Martínez introduce you to Auner, Pitbull, and El Chele. To Paola, Saúl, and Keny. To Wilber, Epifanio, and Erika—and to a number of others.
Those we meet in the pages of The Beast are not all heroes, that’s for sure, nor are they all victims. But the men, women, and children we meet are all actual human beings, and when it comes to humanitarian crises, human beings beat caricatures any day of the week.
- See more at: http://timhoiland.com/2014/08/the-beast/
rseykora's review against another edition
5.0
Very informative and well researched. Author experienced/explored the challenges facing Latin American immigrants as they travel North.
stacialithub's review against another edition
5.0
This account is immediately gripping & I have great respect for the author & his photographer trekking along with the migrants -- it could almost be considered the same as war reporters on the front lines.
While I'm not within immediate access of the Mexican/US border, I am in the South, so we have a relatively large migrant population here. Not everything I read is new to me -- I was aware that there were dangers & knew some of what was faced. But, it's one thing to know that the dangers exist, but quite another to read very detailed & personal stories attached to those dangers (whether the trains, the authorities, the cartels, the rapes, the kidnappings, the terrain, etc...). I guess the sheer number of hurdles, the extreme pervasiveness of the dangers, just the enormity of it all is what is eye-opening & shocking. It's like an up-front seat vs. viewing something from a distance.
The Beast needs to be required reading for everyone who resides in the Americas.
While I'm not within immediate access of the Mexican/US border, I am in the South, so we have a relatively large migrant population here. Not everything I read is new to me -- I was aware that there were dangers & knew some of what was faced. But, it's one thing to know that the dangers exist, but quite another to read very detailed & personal stories attached to those dangers (whether the trains, the authorities, the cartels, the rapes, the kidnappings, the terrain, etc...). I guess the sheer number of hurdles, the extreme pervasiveness of the dangers, just the enormity of it all is what is eye-opening & shocking. It's like an up-front seat vs. viewing something from a distance.
The Beast needs to be required reading for everyone who resides in the Americas.
jessicka's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the most upsetting books I have read. Martinez details the treacherous journey many migrants make from the bottom of Mexico up the North.
The stories he relates, the people he meets, are truly searing and soul catching. More than once I had to put this book down and give myself a break as it was so honest, raw and unrelentingly brutal that I couldn't handle it.
For anyone remotely interested in the migrant trail, or in human rights, this should be a must read.
Incredible book and beautifully written.
The stories he relates, the people he meets, are truly searing and soul catching. More than once I had to put this book down and give myself a break as it was so honest, raw and unrelentingly brutal that I couldn't handle it.
For anyone remotely interested in the migrant trail, or in human rights, this should be a must read.
Incredible book and beautifully written.
the_wendybirb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
3.0
Informative, but it read like the narration of one of those gritty exploitative documentaries that I try to avoid. Also, it was very repetitive, and I feel that it could have been written differently or been 75 pages shorter.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
haleyisamess's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
sunny76's review against another edition
4.0
This is journalism converted into book format, so it's not a story in that sense. It is the story of Central Americans and their trips through Mexico to get to the United States. There is a large section about riding the beast through Mexico, the migrant shelters along the routes, and how some people end up staying in certain areas. Later in the book, there is a section about northern Mexico border life over the years and how towns have changed over time. From when migrants began passing through, to when drug traffickers passed through, the impacts of the drug traffickers on the border towns and the migrants, and how sooner or later the small border towns become ghost towns. The author spent three years working the routes and telling the stories. There is a lot to learn in these pages, not the least of which is how bad it must be in Central America for people to endure the trip.