A review by _readwithash
Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

5.0

I was really surprised by this book. It really packs a punch for being so short. 

The story opens with teenager Talia escaping from a juvenile detention school. We're immediately brought in on the action in a vibrant way, as we follow this girl through Colombia, as she tries to make it back home in time to get on a plane back to the US. 

Then, though flashbacks, we see Talia's parents as they immigrate from Colombia to the United States, as they're faced with the decision of returning home or overstaying their visa, and then as they're forced into tenuous circumstances again and again as they try to find their place in a country where they're considered illegal for merely existing. 

If nothing else, this story offers perspective on the so called "border crisis" in the US, that would offer even the staunchest anti-immigration voters a space to explore the complications of immigration with empathy and care. 

More than that though, this is a story about family and love, and how to hold a family together. It's a story that is challenging at times, beautiful at others, and wholly incredible.