Enrique's Journey (The Young Adult Adaptation): The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite with His Mother

Interesting story- the first two acts of adolecense and train hopping were intense and interesting.But God, once he arrives in America, everything goes downhill. Sonia Nazario is probably giving the actual description of what happened, and what reality is like, but it was a really slap-in-the-face third act.SPOILERS....Ok so once he gets to America, he picks up different blue collar jobs which is fine and all, but quickly becomes an alcoholic/druggie who is abusive and irrational. He becomes the exact stereotype of people who don't want illegal immigrants in the country, by freeloading off the welfare system essentially. I bought this book years ago so I can't remember exactly everything, but it still infuriates me that this was supposed to be a book that would let you see "the other side" of these issues. The first 2/3 of the book make you emphasize with the kid, but then throws it away and confirms the stereotype of the lazy/dangerous/freeloader immigrant that I don't even agree with.Do yourselves a favor; when he gets into America, put the book down, and walk away.

I found "Enrique's Journey" to be one of those books that is hard to put down. It is very well written, comprehensive, and tells the story in such a way that the reader sees more than one person's perspective. For instance, when Lourdes initially explained her reasoning for leaving her children behind (extreme poverty etc), it made sense despite the fact that most mothers here could not imagine having to make such a choice. For young Enrique, however, all the poverty was difficult yes, but losing his mother during his childhood was a loss that he didn't see as "worth it" and it created emotional scars that are likely long lasting. I have never been one that was against immigrants--although I did feel that they should just go through the process legally! It is not that straightforward it turns out. The countries put many barriers in the way to achieving a legal and safe immigration process--some of those barriers for good reasons, and some only perpetuate the bias against those who may look, speak and act differently than we do here in the United States. Sonia Nazario is a great journalist and author in that she explains the challenges she had as well as any "shortcuts" she had to take to work around or through them. For instance, she did not take EVERY step of the perilous journey with Enrique, however she was able to work with him to recreate the trip in their conversation, through corroboration, etc. I never before knew just how perilous and at times deadly such a journey could be until reading this book!I highly recommend it!

This book held a lot of promise, considering the topic and it’s relevance in national politics and humanitarian concerns.While I persisted in reading it, the author’s style was very discouraging to any but the most persistent. I could not find many empathetic characters, least of all, Enrique or his mother, Lourdes. The other distraction are all the eyewitness accounts and statistics interspersed in the narrative, which make it seem like a loosely organized news article.

I learned so much from this book. I had a hard time reading it at first, but became very interested from the sociological viewpoint when the author explained how the children who had taken the train, and their mothers felt about each other after years of separation. I was also interested in the interviews at the end with Enrique, and with the author, Sonia Nazario. I got a mental picture of immigration in our country which is every bit as profound a migration as is happening in Europe with the war in Syria bringing more immigrants than they can handle. The immigration to our country is also similar in numbers seeking asylum. I hope that we can welcome our natural immigrants as people who will enrich our society, rather than hinder it. Californians have accepted and assimilated immigrants better and longer than many other states. It can be done.

The book does an exceptional job with depicting the plight of those trying to enter the USA, both the mothers who flee and all others who think the US will grant opportunities. Nazario is a good journalist, showing many sides to a very complicated issue. As a Hondureña immigrant myself, it is heart-wrenching to see all the people endure, whether self-inflicted or imposed by others.The book at times was too long winded, especially the journey to the USA. There also was a lot of factual info on the immigration issues, but I wanted a bit more into the life of Enrique. The way she ended Enrique's story was lackluster at best. It felt like a ker plop. The detail on how the book came to be, was unneccessary and again too long. Couod have redirected via a hyperlink. I ended up skimming it because of the drawl.Spoiler alert........There is not a glowingly happy ending. This is reality. So many characters were not likeable. Poverty and the ills of Honduras can do that to a person.

Novel reports difficulties individuals have in migrating illegally to the U.S. Unfortunately the lead character is an unlikable individual with strong character flaws.Story contains inconsistencies, such as, Marco, Lourdes brother, owns a 5 bedroom house and five cars. Yet Lourdes has to send $700 to bury her brothers.Novel is repetitive and would have been better served by focusing on a more deserving immigrant. I found it difficult to feel sympathy for Enrique.

Very welcome construed to give the reader a factual understanding of the reality for many from south of the US border.

An excellent book. I was living in Honduras from 1976- 1983, at that time Honduras was a very different country, where we would travel freely all over the country and feel safe. People were poor and children suffered from mal nutrition- but the immigration only began later...

Excelente!

A estória contada no livro sobre a vida real de uma criança abandonada pelos pais mostra de forma clara os impactos negativos da pobreza na América Latina. Mostra também que, além de destroçar vidas, a pobreza empurra adultos a emigrarem para os Estados Unidos em busca de melhores condições financeiras, deixando seus filhos aos cuidados de parentes ou conhecidos. São essas crianças, de certa forma abandonadas, que buscam desesperadamente cruzar a fronteira para encontrarem os pais que os deixaram. Forma-se assim um ciclo de misérias humanas, já que a travessia é extremamente perigosa e deixa marcas de violência e às vezes de morte. Sem entrar no julgamento das ações desses pais, a verdade mostrada é que não há final feliz nessas estórias, mesmo quando filhos e pais se reunem. O livro descreve com honestidade e sensibilidade as partes tristes dessa caminhada do personagem Enrique, mas também mostra lados bonitos do ser humano, principalmente daqueles que ajudam e salvam as vidas das crianças que se arriscam nessa travessia.

Die Geschichte an sich ist sehr interessant und beleuchtet ein Thema, das gerade in den letzten Wochen an Brisanz gewonnen hat durch die massenhafte Zuwanderung von unbegleiteten Kindern und Jugendlichen oder Mütter mit Kindern in die USA. Viele haben gefährliche Reisen hinter sich, haben Entsetzliches sowohl in ihren Heimatländern als auch auf der Reise erlebt, ebenso wie der Held der Geschichte, Enrique.Die große Schwäche des Buches ist sein Stil: eine so stark vereinfachte Form des Englischen, dass das Buch von der Sprache her für das dritte Lernjahr geeignet wäre, der Inhalt jedoch für die Sekundarstufe II. Wer darüber hinwegsehen kann, hat ein sehr interessantes, ja spannendes Buch vor sich.

La larga odisea de Enrique para llegar al lado de su madre es una verdadera pesadilla, pero es importante ponerse en los zapatos de estos desesperados emigrantes que pasan por nuestro país. Y también ver que no es un "sueño" el emigrar a un país que los explota, maltrata y influye en la pobreza de todo Latinoamérica.

Gran libro de non-fiction. La portada es muy bonita y la edición de tapa blanda es de calidad. Sin duda recomendado

Loved the telling of these families, including the aftermath of children kept away from their parents.

Tout à fait captivant et déconcertant, ce récit sur les immigrés illégaux, leur niveau de pauvreté qui les pousse à risquer leur vie, quitter leur famille.

Excellent ouvrage de la journaliste Sonia Nazarion , tant par sa documentation rigoureuse , son récit passionnant , sa dimension socio-culturelle et sa réflexion sur un sujet très actuel . Cela concerne des enfants d'Amérique Centrale et du Mexique qui sont séparés de leur mère à un très jeune âge, et qui bravent tous les dangers pour retrouver cette mère qui a immigré aux U.S.A pour aider sa famille qui vit dans une très grande misère et pauvreté au Honduras par exemple .

An eye-opener.