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A review by bookmarkparty
The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail by Óscar Martínez
3.0
This book is intense. But SO eye opening.
I came across this book after doing my research to find an authentic narrative about the journey of Central American migrants to the United States. Originally published in Spanish, the book reads more like a series of chronological articles rather than a singular narrative, as Martínez and his photographer tag-along with a variety of different migrants, government officials and others throughout the perilous journey across Mexico to the US border. They encounter narcos, thieves, gangs, sex workers, kidnappings, murders and tragic accidents.
At one point Martínez comes across a man who lost a leg to “the beast” (the trains many migrants ride atop to travel across Mexico). Despite his condition and near-death experience, the man was still determined to continue his journey north.
Honestly this book blew my mind. I had a bit of a hard time working through the second half, but I’m so glad I read it in it’s entirety. As an American in the age of Trump
I came across this book after doing my research to find an authentic narrative about the journey of Central American migrants to the United States. Originally published in Spanish, the book reads more like a series of chronological articles rather than a singular narrative, as Martínez and his photographer tag-along with a variety of different migrants, government officials and others throughout the perilous journey across Mexico to the US border. They encounter narcos, thieves, gangs, sex workers, kidnappings, murders and tragic accidents.
At one point Martínez comes across a man who lost a leg to “the beast” (the trains many migrants ride atop to travel across Mexico). Despite his condition and near-death experience, the man was still determined to continue his journey north.
Honestly this book blew my mind. I had a bit of a hard time working through the second half, but I’m so glad I read it in it’s entirety. As an American in the age of Trump