This book works for me as a expose of immigration brutality, but loses some of it's focus by spreading the story out to include several people making the journey north. Knowing that its first iteration was as an LA Times series rates it as deserving of a Pulitzer Prize. The corruption and blatant cruelty exercised by some of the gangs and law enforcement agencies, makes the narrative both tragic and a tough read. I found myself avoiding it at times... ( )

nonfiction/immigration from Central America (Honduras); unattended minors and their families

I never got around to reading the original, Pulitzer-winning full-length book, which has been mentioned by two separate books I've read this year, but on discovery of the 2018 "young reader edition" decided to check this out. It is pretty accessible for teens as far as interesting content goes, and with the increasing number of unattended minors being detained at our borders, also very timely. The author provides a very brief but fairly comprehensive explanation of different factors and considerations about Immigration at the US southern border--she doesn't go into people from other areas of the world who fly in and overstay their visas, but there is a lot here for readers to think about. ( )

Decent story about a boy from Honduras who is determined to find his mother in the U.S. She left her family when he was very small and he was fixated for years on finding her again.

When he reached his teens he started to plan seriously to travel to the US. Leaving behind his girlfriend, he hitched rides on trains headed north. Much of the book is about the horrors and challenges he faced. He was caught and sent back on a bus. This happened several times until he finally reached the border and managed to call his mother to ask for help in paying for a guide. Ultimately he did reach his mother, but reunions like this one never quite meet expectations.

We get to follow him and his girlfriend as they cope with his life in the north and her attempts to meet up with him.

What makes this story interesting is that the writer took the time to travel the rails the way the boy did, mostly on top of the cars, but of course she was safer than he was and spent each night in a safe place. She also tracked and interviewed his friends and his mother so the story would feel complete. Importantly, she ends the book with additional information on this traffic and what befalls so many of these immigrants, so many looking for a way out of extreme poverty. It isn't a pretty story but it has its moments, places where people are dedicated to helping others at great cost to themselves.

It's an important story, particularly in these times of immigrant fear. ( )

All Americans should read this account before forming an opinion about immigration. The book touches on so many issues that stem it. Direct prose. The author covers a lot of ground. Lots of pain in this book. ( )

Subtitle: The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite With His Mother

Journalist Sonia Nazario first met Enrique and his mother, Lourdes, in search of a story. She had originally heard of mother’s who leave their children behind from her cleaning lady. Her interest piqued, she sought to document what such a journey entails … for the mother who goes ahead, for the children left behind, for the boy who was determined to travel nearly 2,000 miles alone to find the mother he had not seen for more than a decade.

The book began as a series of articles for The Los Angeles Times newspaper. It was original published for an adult audience. But when I requested it from the library, I received the young adult version.

I’m familiar with the difficulties and challenges faced by these desperate migrants. I’ve read other books (both fiction and nonfiction) that depict these journeys. I’ve seen at least one movie that graphically represents the tale. These young people leave an impossible situation for a dangerous trek across more than one country. Along the way they face beatings, arrest, injury, hunger, thirst, snake bites, and the possibility of being sent back or even killed. But they persist. In Enrique’s case, as for so many others who attempt the journey, it’s because they simply cannot go another day without at least trying to reach their mothers.

It’s plenty horrific, though I’m sure the graphic depictions are toned down because I read the YA version. Their stories are heartbreaking and eye-opening.

I’m glad that Nazario followed Enrique and his mother for several years, so we witness not just the harrowing journey, but the ultimate results of their long separation and attempts at reunion. ( )