Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Distance Between Us

The Distance Between Us is a powerful, absorbing, very honest and open memoir by a Mexican-American author. Her childhood and this memoir was divided into two very distinct parts. The first was in Mexico where she spent several years in the care of her grandmother while her parents worked in the US to try and earn enough money to build a house in Mexico. The second part of her childhood took place in the US which she and her two eldest siblings entered illegally with their father. After much hard work and overcoming several obstacles the author became the first in her family to graduate college and went on to become an author. It’s a tough book to read with much of it covering the pain caused by absent, unreliable and abusive parents. I found much of the father’s physical abuse to be especially confronting and difficult to read. It’s a story which highlights the toll of childhood trauma and how that can impact future generations. It’s certainly not an excuse, but it is at least a partial explanation. It also shines a spotlight on some of the costs of immigration - split families, the disappointment of unrealised dreams, the fear of having one’s undocumented status discovered and the relief when green cards are granted, struggling to learn a new language, the difficulties of dual identities and more. It’s also a story of sibling love and support, of trying to bond together to protect each other from their parents and the outside world, and the toll this can take. It’s also a story that highlights the power of books and the role a supportive educator can play in a young person’s life. It’s a story that shows both the good and the bad of the family’s life in Mexico, as well as the good and bad aspects of their life in America. It’s the story of a daughter who still loves her father and desires to understand him despite everything. It’s a story well worth reading.

Content Warnings