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A review by katrod
Solito by Javier Zamora
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Not easy to read, but definitely important to read, Solito tells the story of Javier Zamora’s journey to immigrate from El Salvador to the United States at the age of 9 years old. He does it alone, but luckily finds I himself taken in by some truly wonderful people and ends up having somewhat of a “found” family as he crosses.
This story is gut wrenching in so many ways, but what broke my heart the most, was the incredible way Zamora was able to let us into his 9 year old experience. Often I’d find myself wondering if we were reading straight from a journal of his, and then I’d read a beautifully poetic passage about the way the sun rose over the mountains and I’d realize he was just that good at blending stunning writing with the reality of his young journey. It was truly masterful.
It’s a story not for the faint of heart, but if 9 year old Javier survived it, we can certainly be brave enough to read of this very real, daily experience for so many people.
This story is gut wrenching in so many ways, but what broke my heart the most, was the incredible way Zamora was able to let us into his 9 year old experience. Often I’d find myself wondering if we were reading straight from a journal of his, and then I’d read a beautifully poetic passage about the way the sun rose over the mountains and I’d realize he was just that good at blending stunning writing with the reality of his young journey. It was truly masterful.
It’s a story not for the faint of heart, but if 9 year old Javier survived it, we can certainly be brave enough to read of this very real, daily experience for so many people.