Odisea al Norte [Odyssey to the North]

by Mario Bencastro

Decades of civil war in Central America, coupled with the need for manpower in the United States, e made the Hispanic immigrant a fixture in modern American life. This is one such that of Calixto, who comes to the United States "with his stomach empty but his soul full of hope". Showing the heartbreak as well as the humor of missteps and misunderstandings in a strange culture, award-winning author Mario Bencastro creates a sensitive and caring portrait of Calixto as he seeks not only work, but safety from unjust persecution in his homeland. Through conversations, court transcripts, newspaper articles, and letters, Bencastro's novel deftly allows Calixto and his fellow Guatemalan, Salvadoran, and South American migrants to tell their own stories as they struggle to survive in the restaurant kitchens, bars, crowded tenements, and detention centers that become Calixto's proving grounds.

Genres: Fiction, Spanish Literature

Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Alaíde Ventura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juega con la forma, eso está bien. Plano, pero con destellos chingones.

[Cid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latinx Literature course

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely difficult read but incredibly powerful and moving. The narrative form sheds light on the language of dehumanization built into US policy, economic and legal systems, as well as the role of neo-colonialism and US empire on immigration. Bencastro also humanizes the immense strength and resilience of undocumented immigrants.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that it is set in DC and that it was a translation got me through to the end, but the writing is extremely simple and spare.

[Harry E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story. Powerful indictment on US Immigration policy. Read for school and Professor did not honor this as they should have.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ Such a beautiful story about the journey of many immigrants trying to make it into the United States and the difficulties and barriers they experience.

[Shushan · Rating 3 out of 5]

EDIT———
After speaking to the author, I found so many nuances that were lost to poor translation. Such a shame.

This book serves as a great account of Salvadorian immigrants and their struggles coming in. However the book is incredibly simplistic and does nothing special.

[Heather Sobek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latino literature.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads more like nonfiction than true fiction but it is a heartbreaking story of what so many Latin American immigrants go through.