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birdbrainbooks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well I did not expect to cry my way through the entire last quarter of this book! What a powerful story. The first pages hooked me immediately; after that, the meandering nature of switching narrators and timeframes started to frustrate me a bit; and then it all just suddenly gelled and really packed an emotional punch. I fell in love with our protagonist Talia from page one, and later on with both of her parents as well (what a beautifully imperfect love story). Some elements of hard choices and family separations hit sensitive personal notes. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Confinement
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, and Police brutality
womanwill's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, and Dementia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
bookishandlegal's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m really conflicted about this book. On the one hand I’m really glad that it exists and that so many people are reading it. It’s an important story and I’m glad that it was written and that people are being exposed to it. For the most part the book is well written and an interesting story that kept me engaged throughout—sometimes I found that the story dragged and was really slow, even though it’s short (but I could have been in the wrong headspace when reading it).
On the other hand I didn’t love this book. I liked it—but didn’t love it. I didn’t like the way third person was used in this book, it just didn’t work for me. I also found the way the third person jumped between the characters being focused on and the jump between time periods to be confusing and made it hard for me to engage with the story. I never felt super connected to any of the characters and I never felt like I got enough insight or development from any of the characters, which was a bummer. I think the shortness of this book lead to the lack of character development and deep insight into the characters that I wanted—if the book had been longer there would have been more time to delve into the characters lives. There were also several chapters towards the end that abruptly switched to first person and I had no idea who was talking for a bit and I found that jarring and slightly confusing.
Overall, this is a well written fictional story about an immigration experience to the US. This is not my favorite immigration based story but it wasn’t bad and I would definitely recommend it to others to read to get more insight into some immigration experiences.
On the other hand I didn’t love this book. I liked it—but didn’t love it. I didn’t like the way third person was used in this book, it just didn’t work for me. I also found the way the third person jumped between the characters being focused on and the jump between time periods to be confusing and made it hard for me to engage with the story. I never felt super connected to any of the characters and I never felt like I got enough insight or development from any of the characters, which was a bummer. I think the shortness of this book lead to the lack of character development and deep insight into the characters that I wanted—if the book had been longer there would have been more time to delve into the characters lives. There were also several chapters towards the end that abruptly switched to first person and I had no idea who was talking for a bit and I found that jarring and slightly confusing.
Overall, this is a well written fictional story about an immigration experience to the US. This is not my favorite immigration based story but it wasn’t bad and I would definitely recommend it to others to read to get more insight into some immigration experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Racism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
kylieqrada's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I don't feel qualified to review this book, but I will give it my best shot. I read this in one sitting. It was not an easy read, but it was a beautifully written and a necessary one. It is a very character-driven look at the immigrant experience, through the lens of one Colombian family. We get multiple points of view, mostly from Talia, the family's youngest daughter, but also from Mauro, the father, Elena, the mother, and Karina and Nando, the other two siblings. Mauro and Talia are together in Columbia, and Elena, Karina, and Nando are together in the U.S. The different POVs allow us to explore the immigration experience from multiple angles, and to understand that "the immigrant" is not a monolith. Particularly, the "undocumented immigrant" is not a monolith. Characters in the book are U.S. citizens, undocumented immigrants, Colombian citizens, and dual citizens. I can't necessarily say that I enjoyed the reading experience of this book, but I did learn a lot, and I think that Patricia Engel is a stunningly gorgeous writer. I docked half of a star for fatphobic content. This book contains a lot of potentially harmful content, so please check CWs before reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Fatphobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Grief
booksybochinche's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Rape
planreadrepeat's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Racism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Bullying
emilylovesbooks's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Sexual assault
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
bookdragon217's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Books hold tremendous power. They have the power to provide a lens, transform, but most importantly they open doors to new conversations to answer questions we cannot on our own. For a book to truly have impact, it should do two things: fill you with compassion and leave you with questions.
Infinite Country was one of these books for me that will have me in conversation for a while. There were so many themes to unpack and explore.
After hearing the author say in an interview that "Immigration is about family" it has caused me to reflect deeply. The aspect of family resonated with me, especially when I think about it in conjunction with the concept of love as opposed to sacrifice. How do you stay grounded in family in spaces that view you as foreign and dangerous? How do you protect family in a new, unknown space while maintaining a sense of home and tradition? How do you keep home at the center when you are separated by borders? How do you fight for your own survival in the midst of family obligation? How do you love amidst uncertainty.
Community was another aspect that resonated with me. It reminded me that home and family are always carried in the heart. Borders don't change that. You find family and community in spaces where the focus is on the collective and people join together to help each other and make the best out of difficult circumstances. How do you build community without unique voices contributing to the narrative? How do you gain perspective about a different experience without exploring all angles? This was my favorite aspect of Engel's writing. Each character contributed to the family's story. We get to see the individual motivation, their challenges and the molding of each identity within the family dynamic.
But even more beautiful to me were the conversations and reactions that transpired outside of the pages. Watching Iris moved to tears as she talked about family with the author made me feel every emotion. Listening to Laura and Mari talk about being advocates for their family as children helped to solidify the idea that family is essentially love. Listening to Erica talk about how reading this helped her understand her husband's family and their journey more deeply made me emotional. Knowing that Aimee cried like I did showed me the power of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and experience true emotion together.
Infinite Country was a beautiful book in that it heled me see what is most important. It impacted me and moved me to go beyond the pages and seek out community and share reflections and emotions with others. It also made me think about how many other stories are out there that need to be told. How we experience stories is unique. How stories bring us together is healing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death and Suicidal thoughts
brittishliterature's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Bullying and Suicidal thoughts
bafine's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'm writing my review of <i>Infinite Country</i> with tears wet on my cheeks.
This is a feat of descriptive and lyrical prose, intricate multiple viewpoint story-telling, trauma, and love. I am both heartbroken and heart-warmed. In a mere 191 pages I experienced culture, love, loss, desperation, shame, strength, and triumph.
<blockquote>p.32 In Houston, Mauro worked with many men who'd investigated the southern borderlands by foot, some four or five times. ...Still, they returned, even as the journey became harder, the hazards more vicious, <b>convinced this land offered more than theirs had already taken from them.</b></blockquote>
I don't wish to belabor on the subject, but please, <u>if you have not yet read a now famous book of migrant stories written by a white woman, remove it from your list and replace it with this one.</u> I have now read both and I can tell you that not only does this book tell the story of immigration from an actual Latinx dual-citizen daughter of immigrants, but it is much better written.
<i>Infinite Country</i> is rich with Andean folklore and wildlife. In my mind I could envision the streets of Bogotá and flew with the condors high above treetops. I got lost in Engel's beautiful myths of how humans came to be.
<blockquote>p.95 Traditional Knowledge maintained that the first race of humans was extinguished by the gods because of their cannibalism. A second generation of humans transformed into the animals that inhabit the earth. The third race of humans was created anew by the gods, formed from clay. We are only soil and water baked in the sun to dry, ...Is it any wonder we are so fragile and destined to break?</blockquote>
When I read about the way we treat immigrants and their families in America, I always feel so broken. We call ourselves a melting pot, <i>"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore"</i> but we turn away anyone who doesn't look or speak like us. <i>Infinite Country</i> is a love letter to immigrants and to the earth. Animals and fault lines do not create borders--humans do.
I hope to see this book popping up in book clubs around the country and world. I am so grateful that this was my Book of the Month pick on early release. I recommend this book to everyone, but especially fellow white Americans. We have so much work to do.
This is a feat of descriptive and lyrical prose, intricate multiple viewpoint story-telling, trauma, and love. I am both heartbroken and heart-warmed. In a mere 191 pages I experienced culture, love, loss, desperation, shame, strength, and triumph.
<blockquote>p.32 In Houston, Mauro worked with many men who'd investigated the southern borderlands by foot, some four or five times. ...Still, they returned, even as the journey became harder, the hazards more vicious, <b>convinced this land offered more than theirs had already taken from them.</b></blockquote>
I don't wish to belabor on the subject, but please, <u>if you have not yet read a now famous book of migrant stories written by a white woman, remove it from your list and replace it with this one.</u> I have now read both and I can tell you that not only does this book tell the story of immigration from an actual Latinx dual-citizen daughter of immigrants, but it is much better written.
<i>Infinite Country</i> is rich with Andean folklore and wildlife. In my mind I could envision the streets of Bogotá and flew with the condors high above treetops. I got lost in Engel's beautiful myths of how humans came to be.
<blockquote>p.95 Traditional Knowledge maintained that the first race of humans was extinguished by the gods because of their cannibalism. A second generation of humans transformed into the animals that inhabit the earth. The third race of humans was created anew by the gods, formed from clay. We are only soil and water baked in the sun to dry, ...Is it any wonder we are so fragile and destined to break?</blockquote>
When I read about the way we treat immigrants and their families in America, I always feel so broken. We call ourselves a melting pot, <i>"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore"</i> but we turn away anyone who doesn't look or speak like us. <i>Infinite Country</i> is a love letter to immigrants and to the earth. Animals and fault lines do not create borders--humans do.
I hope to see this book popping up in book clubs around the country and world. I am so grateful that this was my Book of the Month pick on early release. I recommend this book to everyone, but especially fellow white Americans. We have so much work to do.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Suicidal thoughts