The Only Road

When Miguel's cousin is murdered by a local gang, his family scrounges together enough money to send Miguel and another cousin, Angela, to the United States where they will join his brother Tomas. Unfortunately, due to the family's desperate situation, this journey is not done through legal routes, forcing the children to make difficult and dangerous decisions as they pass through their home of Guatemala and into Mexico towards the United States.

This book starts with a shocking death and quickly moves to the children fleeing their hometown. Other books on this topic mean well but often sound rather didactic. This title walks that fine line between teaching about current events and having a thrilling story with compelling characters. show more While I generally had faith that Miguel and Angela would be alright, there were certainly moments that tested my belief. In addition, I knew that other characters might not fare as easily. In short, the tension was there to keep the reader engaged, flipping pages to see what will happen next.

That being said, the book doesn't get too into the gory details about the violence and desperation, although they are certainly frequent topics. There are several oblique mentions to sexual violence without naming it. I suppose this is all in keeping with a book designed for a young audience; the author doesn't necessarily shy away from the issues but she doesn't choose to grotesquely wallow in them either. show less

Retelling: Jaime and his cousin Angela embark on a perilous journey from their home in Guatemala after a violent gang murdered Angela's brother, Miguel. Their goal is to find sanctuary with Jaime's brother, Tomas, in los Estados Unidos. The author, Alexandra Diaz, hints at the true brutality of the journey for people with no other place to go as her heros witness the misfortune of their fellow travelers and narrowly escape the same fates themselves. Jaime is not known for his brawn, but uses the strength and talents he has as an artist to gain favor and support his cousin.

Thoughts and feelings: One good turn deserves another. My favorite moment in the book was when the scrappy dog they saved from a slow death turns out to be their show more salvation (I won't give it away). I also liked that Jaime's paternalism towards his cousin Angela was challenged when she stepped up to save them in unexpected ways. I would love to have read a little from her perspective, or from the perspective of Joaquin (who dressed like a boy to avoid unwanted attention on the road). show less

Jaime and his cousin Angela make the dangerous trip from Guatemala to El Norte after Angela's brother Miguel is killed by the Alphas after refusing to join their gang. Jaime and Angela's families scrape up the money to pay for part of their journey north, but it is neither smooth nor safe. They travel through Mexico, finding safe houses, surviving a train trip locked inside a hot boxcar (and another on top of a traincar), making and losing friends, facing their fears, and sticking together.

*Spoiler alert* This is a children's book, so they do make it to the U.S. (after a relatively uneventful - compared to other parts of the journey - river crossing at night) and Jaime's brother Tomas picks them up.

The text is sprinkled with Spanish, show more and there is a glossary in the back with definitions of the Spanish words; anyone with even a passable amount of Spanish won't need it, and most words are clear in context anyway. There are some awkward usages; on p. 201 a character says "usted" for no apparent reason, but a few pages later Angela uses that to identify him as being from somewhere other than he said. It makes sense after the fact but is peculiar to come across initially. Over all I felt there was more telling than showing, and I didn't particularly connect with the characters, though I empathized with their dilemma and their journey.

Quotes

Some people were barefoot...some looked like their soul had left their body and all that was left was a corpse operated by memory. (84)

But at what point do you stop helping people? ...Where would he draw the line between those he'd help, and those he'd let get abused and deported? (96)

They were locked in a pitch-black train car with no way of getting out, prisoners in their escape for freedom. (138)

He wished he could trust these people. They were all on the same journey - they should help each other...But when it came down to it, they were only going to look after themselves. (147)

"Is it worth going against your morals just to stay alive? I don't know." (Xavi to Angela and Jaime, 181)

"Look out your window because this is the last time you'll see your country." (Author's note; her mother left Cuba in 1960) show less

Digital audiobook performed by Ramon de Ocampo.
5***** and a ❤

Twelve-year-old Jaime and his fifteen-year-old cousin, Angela, are forced to flee their Guatemalan village due to the Alpha gang’s terrorizing families in their area. Their families make the heart-wrenching decision to send the youngsters to America to live with Jaime’s older brother after Angela’s brother is killed by the gang for refusing to join. The novel details their harrowing journey through Mexico, where they encounter other gangs, as well as officials who do not want the refugees in their country.

It’s a powerful story and very well told. I loved these characters! The dangers they face include robbery, beatings, incarceration, hunger, lack of shelter, and show more various threats from both fellow refugees and local inhabitants they encounter on this 1,500-mile long journey. Having little more than a small bag of provisions, a sewing kit, some money sewn into the seams of their clothes, a crude map with some information on safe houses along the way, and Jaime’s sketchbook, they find in themselves courage, inventiveness, tenacity and compassion. A few of their fellow refugees have made the attempt before and they learn quickly from them a few tricks to be able to pass as Mexicans. Other fellow refugees turn out to be almost as dangerous as the gangs that control various territories they pass through. Despite the many dangers they face, they cling to hope and to the telephone number they’ve memorized – so they can call Jaime’s older brother if / when they make it across the border to the USA.

Because this is for the young adult market the book is probably less horrific that the realities, though it still alludes to the many dangers such refuges face. Threats of injury, dismemberment or death when boarding a moving train, for example. The possibility of assault and rape from gangs that “patrol” the tracks. The lack of food, water or shelter as they make their way through a desert landscape.

Ramon de Ocampo does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and gives the young characters reasonably “young” voices. Diaz includes a number of Spanish words / phrases in the text (there is a glossary / dictionary at the back), and Ocampo’s pronunciation of Spanish is spot on. (Though I can’t really speak to whether he sounds Guatemalan vs Mexican.) show less

According to the description of the book from the publisher: Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. It is a story of fear and bravery, love and loss, strangers becoming family, and one boy’s treacherous and life-changing journey.

I had so many emotions run through me as I read this book. Right now as we are dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis in Canada, reading this book at this time made it seem so much more real. The dangers many refugees and illegal immigrants face trying to come to a country where they can feel safe are mind boggling.

In this story it is two children (12 and 15) travelling alone with only show more names, maps, information and money sewn into their clothes that take the treacherous journey from Guatemala to the U.S. When Angela's brother and Jamie's cousin Miguel is killed by the local gang because he refused to join them, the family believes the only way to keep Angela and Jamie safe is to get them away from Guatemala. Tomas, Jaimie's brother, lives in New Mexico, so that is their destination. The journey is dangerous, but they go anyway. They meet other children on the way and they become friends. They rescue a dog, near death from the dog fights and nurse her back to life. They work sewing and drawing portraits to earn even more money to get safe passage across the border. Unfortunately, out of the small group of five children travelling together, they are the only ones to make it. We so not find out exactly what happens to the others, but from what is happening in the story, we can imagine. This journey took courage, guts, a little naivite and luck to get to their final destination. Many try and do not make it, many try multiple times, many disappear or are killed. A very hard story to read.

This book should be read by all students to help them understand the plight of refugees and immigrants. It should also give them an appreciation of what they have and how they live. Thank-you to Paula Wiseman Books / Simon & Schuster for generously providing me a copy of this book to read. It is one that will be with me for a while. show less

According to the description of the book from the publisher: Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. It is a story of fear and bravery, love and loss, strangers becoming family, and one boy’s treacherous and life-changing journey.

I had so many emotions run through me as I read this book. Right now as we are dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis in Canada, reading this book at this time made it seem so much more real. The dangers many refugees and illegal immigrants face trying to come to a country where they can feel safe are mind boggling.

In this story it is two children (12 and 15) travelling alone with only show more names, maps, information and money sewn into their clothes that take the treacherous journey from Guatemala to the U.S. When Angela's brother and Jamie's cousin Miguel is killed by the local gang because he refused to join them, the family believes the only way to keep Angela and Jamie safe is to get them away from Guatemala. Tomas, Jaimie's brother, lives in New Mexico, so that is their destination. The journey is dangerous, but they go anyway. They meet other children on the way and they become friends. They rescue a dog, near death from the dog fights and nurse her back to life. They work sewing and drawing portraits to earn even more money to get safe passage across the border. Unfortunately, out of the small group of five children travelling together, they are the only ones to make it. We so not find out exactly what happens to the others, but from what is happening in the story, we can imagine. This journey took courage, guts, a little naivite and luck to get to their final destination. Many try and do not make it, many try multiple times, many disappear or are killed. A very hard story to read.

This book should be read by all students to help them understand the plight of refugees and immigrants. It should also give them an appreciation of what they have and how they live. Thank-you to Paula Wiseman Books / Simon & Schuster for generously providing me a copy of this book to read. It is one that will be with me for a while. show less

Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead.

Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico.

Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life. The story is “told with heartbreaking show more honesty,” Booklist raved, and “will bring readers face to face with the harsh realities immigrants go through in the hope of finding a better, safer life, and it will likely cause them to reflect on what it means to be human.” show less