karimorton33's review
3.0
I enjoyed the content and topic of this book, but the way it was written didn’t speak to me. It seemed quite cold and separated from the individual people it was about. But definitely eye opening to see the lives of people in Central America and why they are leaving to come to the US. (Read for Feminist Book Club)
ninjakiwi12's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
3.5
Fun(ny) fact(s): I checked this out digitally when I could not sleep in the hotel in Brownsville, Texas, so public libraries for the win now and always.
Favorite quote/image: "All of the stories (and mine) share a similar creation myth, yet we are much more than refugees, than child migrants, than people who have experienced trauma. While reading, please do not forget that outside these testimonies there is also joy. There are moments of love, of laughter. Every time we retell a story, we fish into the abyss and pull them out. The fish is constantly changing, the water as well. Both the fish and water will never go away, but we can envision a better future for our trauma. That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to be seen in our entire humanity and not how the media paints us; we are not defined by our suffering." (Foreword, Javier Zamora)
Honorable mention: "It's exciting to know that other people will read my story...I believe that telling one's story is a way to healing. Sharing my own story has changed my life. Every time I'm sad or I feel like giving up, I read my story and think, Wow look at all the things that have come true! I can do it! This is only a bad day, a bad week. I can get up and continue my life." (Soledad Castillo, Honduras)
Why: Freedman and Mayers work quite hard to amplify the voices of many child migrants from Latin America to the United States by telling their stories. Gut-wrenching and insightful, this is a powerful book that puts names, faces, hopes, dreams, fears–humanity–to the whirlpool of tragic statistics.
Favorite quote/image: "All of the stories (and mine) share a similar creation myth, yet we are much more than refugees, than child migrants, than people who have experienced trauma. While reading, please do not forget that outside these testimonies there is also joy. There are moments of love, of laughter. Every time we retell a story, we fish into the abyss and pull them out. The fish is constantly changing, the water as well. Both the fish and water will never go away, but we can envision a better future for our trauma. That's what we're trying to do. We're trying to be seen in our entire humanity and not how the media paints us; we are not defined by our suffering." (Foreword, Javier Zamora)
Honorable mention: "It's exciting to know that other people will read my story...I believe that telling one's story is a way to healing. Sharing my own story has changed my life. Every time I'm sad or I feel like giving up, I read my story and think, Wow look at all the things that have come true! I can do it! This is only a bad day, a bad week. I can get up and continue my life." (Soledad Castillo, Honduras)
Why: Freedman and Mayers work quite hard to amplify the voices of many child migrants from Latin America to the United States by telling their stories. Gut-wrenching and insightful, this is a powerful book that puts names, faces, hopes, dreams, fears–humanity–to the whirlpool of tragic statistics.
freshvegetables's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
tallytune's review
2.0
While I found the stories themselves interesting, the poor editing and the repetitive use of "see glossary" for information got tiresome and made for difficult reading.
I think this topic is important and I did learn a lot and gained insight into what drives some people to immigrate, I just wish it had been better organized and edited.
I think this topic is important and I did learn a lot and gained insight into what drives some people to immigrate, I just wish it had been better organized and edited.
applezing's review
3.0
There were so many stories in this book that it got a bit overwhelming. The details tended to blend together and it was difficult to deeply empathize with each of the individuals. I think the subject matter is really important but this particular anthology wasn’t as moving to me as some of the individual refugee stories I’ve read.
rachelemm's review
3.0
I took my time reading this book as I wanted to give each story the space and consideration it deserved.
The stories here are harrowing. For the people making the journey across the Mexican border into the USA it would seem that robbery, rape and mistreatment are an inevitable part of the experience. It is so sad to think how desperate you would need to be to risk everything for the hope of a better life in another country and some pay thousands for a 'cayote' or guide to help them make the crossing.
For the bravery of its subjects, this book gets 5 stars but in reviewing it on Goodreads I have to focus primarily on the reading experience which for me was just above OK. I understand the editors wrote down the spoken testimony of the people they met, many of whom spoke little or no English, but the writing style is so dry. It was hard going at times reading sentence after sentence of misery with no nuance, no insight into the emotional impact and no storytelling techniques applied at all.
It is still an important work if only for the window it gives into the border crossing experience made all the more relevant by Trump's election promise to build a wall. If nothing else, reading these stories shows this is not the time to build barriers, it's the time to break them down.
The stories here are harrowing. For the people making the journey across the Mexican border into the USA it would seem that robbery, rape and mistreatment are an inevitable part of the experience. It is so sad to think how desperate you would need to be to risk everything for the hope of a better life in another country and some pay thousands for a 'cayote' or guide to help them make the crossing.
For the bravery of its subjects, this book gets 5 stars but in reviewing it on Goodreads I have to focus primarily on the reading experience which for me was just above OK. I understand the editors wrote down the spoken testimony of the people they met, many of whom spoke little or no English, but the writing style is so dry. It was hard going at times reading sentence after sentence of misery with no nuance, no insight into the emotional impact and no storytelling techniques applied at all.
It is still an important work if only for the window it gives into the border crossing experience made all the more relevant by Trump's election promise to build a wall. If nothing else, reading these stories shows this is not the time to build barriers, it's the time to break them down.
lowkeymarie's review
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Drug use
manugummi's review against another edition
4.0
“Every time we retell a story, we fish into the abyss and pull them out. The fish is constantly changing, the water as well. Both the fish and water will never go away, but we can envision a better future for our trauma. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to be seen in our entire humanity and not how the media paints us; we are not defined by our suffering.”
tzwolfer's review
4.0
This book should be required reading for everyone in the United States. Through first person accounts, it offers an in-depth look into the narratives of youth refugees crossing the border from Central America to the US. These narratives are often difficult to read—containing depictions of rape, domestic abuse, violence, drug abuse, and more—but their frankness is necessary and appreciated. Narratives such as the ones shared in this book are often swept under the rug or framed negatively; this book works to reroute those conceptions, bringing the hardships of youth refugees to light and humanizing their struggles and their experiences. Though it gets repetitive towards the final third, this book is ultimately a valuable resource for education and for action (it contains a list of ways readers can become involved at the end). A difficult read, but an essential one.