Never Through Miami (Recovering the Past, Creating the Future) by Roberto Quesada

by Roberto Quesada

Elías Sandoval stands in line at Miami International Airport, desperately hoping he's picked the right immigration agent, the one who will open the doors to the promise of America. Elías comes to the United States hoping to storm the arts scene as a sculptor, only to be handed a dishcloth and a tray for clearing dishes. His quest leads us through a series of misadventures on the path taken by so many Latin American from the lines of U.S. immigration to the kitchen sinks of restaurants and the bellboy-bound corridors of hotels in New York City. In Central America, he has left Helena behind, who through anxious - and hilarious - phone exchanges exerts constant pressure on her far-off boyfriend to send for her, in the hopes that she can fulfill her mother's lifelong dream of going to Miami.

Raucous culture conflict and communication barriers due to poor translation and off-kilter antics comprise Quesada's formula for fun while exploring the ambiguous status of Latino immigrants fresh off the proverbial boat.

Genres: Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book both by its title (I too hate passing through US immigration when travelling from Latin America, especially via Miami) and by the fact that its author is from Honduras and in other places offers eloquent commentary on the sad state of that country’s politics after the coup in 2009.

But this book is a fairly light-hearted and indeed brief affair, focussing on the will-they won’t-they of a long-distance relationship between a man who’s made it through Miami to find a kind of life (as an artist) in New York, and his pretty girlfriend still in Honduras who’s due to follow him – but seems to be mainly in love with the idea of going to Miami (and not New York).
It’s an amusing exploration of the life of a new arrival and of the would-be migrant, albeit ones more privileged than those who struggle to make the land journey north to the Texas border. You’ll have to read it to find out if the girlfriend makes it to Miami, or indeed to New York.

[Martin Saucedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, clever and philosophical.
A writer that tells it like it is!
I just hated, hated, hated how the story ended.

[Alaíde Ventura · Rating 1 out of 5]

No cabe duda de que el humor no traspasa fronteras ni geográficas ni de género ni de clase ni estéticas, nada, qué horrendo compendio de caricaturas y chistes flojos.

[Aimar Rollán · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obra divertida y amena, que narra las peripecias de un emigrante en EEUU. Recomendable.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una novela corta y entretenida sobre la experiencia de un inmigrante a los Estados Unidos de Honduras. Elías, un escultor hondureño, busca el sueno estadounidense en Nueva York, y planea ganar suficiente dinero para que so novia Helena se reúna con él. Pero las experiencias, empezando con su experiencia humillante (pero divertida) pasando por inmigración en el aeropuerto en Miami, fallan cómicamente a ayudarlo a conseguir su meta. Mientras tanto, su novia y su mama tienen un sueño diferente y se obsesionan con Miami, la ciudad con la cual Elías asocia su humillación. El dialogo y las escenas son frescas y entretenidas. Algunos de los personajes también son fascinantes—como Dina, la mama de la novia de Elías, y Mario, su amigo izquierdista e idealista. Pero la historia se centra mas en las vidas de dos individuos—Elías y Helena—y en eventos que podrían pasar en las vidas de cualquier pareja incompatible que en una experiencia de un inmigrante-artista. Además, Elías y Helena no necesariamente captan el interés del lector después de algunas escenas divertidas. Aunque divertida, la novela carece de un significado grande y la novela pierde su ritmo al no señalar un contexto o una trama más grande o profundo.

[Ercilia Delancer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha encantado este libro, no por la historia de amor alrededor del cual gira la trama, pero si por su analisis tan certero sobre el tema de la immigración donde el autor declara que los gobernantes de todos los países son los nuevos señores feudales de antes quienes dictaminan donde los siervos tienen derecho a vivir y como ganarse la vida. La habilidad del protagonista para aprender inglés aparentemente de la noche a la mañana para pasar de ayudante de mesero a mesero me sonó falsa y el final fue un poco decepcionante.

[Roger Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the second time I buy Never Through Miami, and it’s just as good as I remembered. Roberto Quesada tells the story in such a real and relatable way — it’s funny, touching, and full of heart. The characters feel so alive, and the message about chasing your dreams really hits home. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a short and meaningful read!

[Kevin Drawdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an American, Never Through Miami opened my eyes to new perspectives from a Latin American author. Roberto Quezada’s writing style is unique and incredibly easy to connect with. I highly recommend.

[Kendall Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confused and too long

This entire story could benefit from some heavy editing.
The themes of immigration that are presented at the beginning are nearly meaningless by the end. What felt like a commentary on the immigrant and latino experience decomposed into a sort if funny love story that had no right being as long as it is.
Maybe if this story wrote streamlined into a short story, the theming would have been more cohesive, but ultimately its lengthy and long winded observations on life, love, and latinidad hold it back, and that's really saying something considering that this is by no means a long novel as is.
I considered this last point outside of my rating as I dont think it is the authors fault, but the English translation is full of typos.