What is it like to live south of the border and be poor? What is it like for families broken up by poverty when major family members must leave to cross the border and live illegally "in the shadows", sometimes being gone for years and sometimes never returning. And how are the children affected by being separated from one or both of their parents, often being left with relatives that do not want them and even mistreat them? In reading this remarkable book, the reader will find out.
When Reyna and her two siblings finally themselves come to the United States, settling in Highland Park, a suburb of Los Angeles, a new section of the narrative begins. There are pluses in their new lives: some health care, better hygiene, good education by teachers that do not hit them, etc. The minuses: the father that brought them to live with him and his new partner (with the mother, strangely uncommitted to her children, returning to Mexico when he told her he did not love her anymore) has many emotional scars from being raised in a violent household and an ever growing problem with alcohol. It is evident that internally he is a severely depressed person that wonders himself at times about his own behavior. He means well, but he cannot overcome himself.
Reyna is the only one of the children that completes higher education and achieves professional accomplishments. This book is one of them. Her writing style is solid, intense and natural. The mastery of her craft and of the English language (remarkable in that she started learning English in late childhood) is admirable. Yet she makes it seem easy. That is because it comes naturally to her. This is a talent she was born with. One wonders if she has ancestors that had the same talent, but because of greatly unfavorable circumstances, did not develop it or even recognize it.
This book opens up a world of thought. Highly recommended.
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A MUST READ!
I just finished reading The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande. A few friends have actually recommended it more than once. I am not exaggerating when I say this is one of those books that will stay with you and change the way you see things. Reyna really depicts the heartbreak, hope and loss that she went through when her parents left her in Mexico to come to the US to try and build a better life for them. It chronicles the pain of losing your parents to the US and then finally making it here just to lose your identity and the feeling of belonging anywhere but still, against all odds, surviving and making your dreams come true. As a Latina whose parents sought refuge in the US after the war in El Salvador became so dangerous that their very lives were in danger and they sadly lost family and friends, I thought I knew the struggle. Honestly, I had no idea. I feel like my eyes were finally opened. I am thankful that my parents came here and escaped the terrors that were going on in their country because they achieved their American dream with hard work and dedication and thanks to that I have had a wonderful life. Growing up I never had to worry about deportation because as far as I can remember when I was little my parents were residents and there was never any worry of that. They owned their own home and I never had to worry about living situations. I was born here and, while my parents always made sure I knew where our roots are planted, I always felt like I belonged here or there. After reading Reyna’s book I have to count my blessings. Our "poor" does not compare to theirs. Children in other countries are worried about how many years will pass until they see their mom and dad again, whether they will finally eat something after days without food, if their homes made out of cardboard and scraps will survive the rain. You have to read this book to understand why so many decide to come to “el otro lado” and their resilience. I really think this book is a MUST read. I could read it again and again. I loved it so much that I am planning to read the Spanish version next!
