My Side of the River: A Memoir

by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez reveals her experience as the U.S. born daughter of immigrants and what happened when, at fifteen, her parents were forced back to Mexico in this galvanizing yet tender memoir.

Born to Mexican immigrants south of the Rillito River in Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth had the world at her fingertips as she entered her freshman year of high school as the number one student. But suddenly, Elizabeth's own country took away the most important right a child has: a right to have a family.

As her parents’ visas expired, they were forced to return to Mexico, leaving Elizabeth responsible for her younger brother, as well as her education. Determined to break the cycle of being “a statistic,” she knew that even though her parents couldn’t stay, there was no way she could let go of the opportunities the U.S. could provide.

Armed with only her passport and sheer teenage determination, Elizabeth became what her school would eventually describe as an unaccompanied, homeless youth, one of thousands of underage victims affected by family separation due to broken immigration laws. For fans of Educated by Tara Westover and The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande, My Side of the River explores separation, generational trauma, and the toll of the American dream. It’s also, at its core, a love story between a brother and a sister who, no matter the cost, is determined to make the pursuit of his own dreams easier than it was for her.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Biography Memoir, Race, Coming Of Age

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2024

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop reading this review and start reading this book instead

[Sandra The Old Woman in a Van · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should anyone in their twenties write a memoir? My Side of the River is my latest attempt at reading one, and I ultimately concluded that this author should have waited. While Camarillo Gutierrez has a compelling life story to date, there needs to be more substance, self-reflection, and maturity to constitute a memoir. Reading her book, I felt it was another box checked by the author as she plans a political career. Much of the narrative chronologically accounts for the author's day-to-day activities - TMI. I kept waiting for some tension to develop, but the moment never arrived. I wasn't very excited about picking it up, and I was going to DNF it, but I decided to read the book as an anthropologic observation of a GenZ coming of age - then I enjoyed it more.

This said I have a strong interest in Elizabeth's story. An undocumented young man joined my family in 9th grade when he had a family crisis not unlike Elizabeth's. So I get it. But what does the author want us to take away from her book? There are no policy recommendations, no recommendations on how we could help children like her, and no way forward.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This memoir appealed to me because I was also raised in an immigrant household and although our circumstances were different, I thought that the author's experience might resonate with me. As always, it's hard to critique a memoir and evaluate how someone has described their own life, so I'll just say that it simply didn't work for me. Although Camarillo Gutierrez's writing is good enough, I wish there was more detail given -- she skates over her entire life and doesn't spend much time really engaging with the topic of undocumented immigration on a grander scale or even the finer details of how it affected her family's everyday life. I would have preferred this to the timeline of her life based on the big events, but that's just me. Her tone and some of her sentiments also rubbed me the wrong way at times. At the end of the book, she talks about turning her trauma into "gold" and packaging her experience to her benefit in the context of applying to schools and jobs, but that strikes me as the driver behind this book as well and overall, it missed the mark for me.


I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

In My Side of the River, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrrez shares her story of growing up as the older daughter of Mexican immigrants living in Arizona. This memoir is a great combination of chronicling the author's family relationships and education and also the immigration policies that deeply impacted her life. Her writing style flows well and kept me engrossed in her story. Highly recommended for readers of memoirs and those interested in immigration issues.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

"My Side of the River" by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez is the author's own story of her life as the American daughter of Mexican immigrants who were not citizens of the United States. As much as I wanted to love this book, it left me wanting more. It moved from one milestone of Elizabeth's life to the next, without the intimacy and details I look for in a memoir. I was left wondering why she wrote this book at all-was it to highlight the experiences of immigrants in this country, to inspire other young women in her situation, or was it, to paraphrase her own words when applying to colleges, to turn her trauma into gold and financially benefit from her story (not that there is anything wrong with that)? Instead of denigrating state colleges (the nerve that someone would confuse her ivy league Penn with the state school Penn State-also a very good school by the way), I wish she would have focused less on her impressive achievements (and tempered the elitist tone at times) and more on such personal details as thoughts and feelings, the things that really make a memoir resonate with a reader. This book lacked emotion and depth; it was more of a resume than a memoir. I know I will probably take a lot of criticism for this review, but I am always completely honest in my reviews, and this book lacked the substance I look for. I longed for a deeper connection with Elizabeth, which just wasn't there.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

[Brynna Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected a lot more from this memoir. Instead of being about unjust immigration practices or the hardships she went through while she was on her own at 15 years old, it was mostly about how amazing she is, her impressive accomplishments, and how she could never do any wrong. Throughout, the tone was pretty elitist (e.g., how dare someone confuse horrible state school Penn State with her perfect UPenn degree!) and it really rubbed me the wrong way.

I read memoirs to understand another's life outside of my own and but by the end of this book, I was left with little feeling and wondering what the purpose of writing this was. Feels like she should've waited to tell this story - I don't think she's at a point in her life where a memoir actually added anything.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book felt like a very long college application essay

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Carillo Gutierrez is a first generation Mexican American. When she was fifteen, her parents, who had Visas, returned to Mexico to renew them. Denied renewal, the family also had her younger brother, a citizen of the US, brought back to Mexico. Elizabeth was left to live with a family who virtually ignored her, including denying her food, while she strove to do well in school and get accepted into a good college. Despite all her tribulations, she was accepted at an Ivy League school, but was never far away from the strife, prejudice, pressure and sometimes panic that resulted from the present day immigrant experience in America.

I am not a big fan of memoirs, but this is a wonderful read. Simultaneously heart breaking and heart warming, it provides good insight into the unfortunate immigrant experience of so many children separated from their parents and siblings. Readers see the way immigrants are scapegoated when all they want to do is work hard and take care of their families, hoping for a better future for their children, the separation of innocent, hardworking families, the prejudice, the exploitation, the dehumanization, and the very real effects on two children. Here also are the laws that have erased the acknowledgment of the true history and the culture of so many people, the politics behind immigration, the blockage of passing any meaningful changes.

I am especially pleased that the author points out the land grab by the United States and indigenous displacement that occurred in Mexico in the early 1800s. Not to many people know about this, yet they should. She also documents the effects of cultural machismo on a family.

I would recommend this book for book clubs everywhere; there is so much that should be learned about and discussed.

Thanks to #netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very heavy book to read emotionally. I hope the author finds a way to breathe and live unencumbered someday. Maybe writing this book will help her with that.

[Stephanie Wilen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished My Side of The River feeling outrage for immigrant families in America. Elizabeth is born in the US, making her a citizen. However, her parents are not. They are forced to go back to Mexico when she is in the 9th grade leaving her behind so she can continue to pursue her education, her only way out of poverty. She lives with various families during this time, in unstable environments, sometimes going hungry and still maintains a 4.0 GPA finishing first in her class. Elizabeth is accepted into an Ivy League School, graduates with a job in finance and then sends for her younger brother who she takes care of on her own while working full time until he goes to College. At that point she begins to help her parents financially from afar. Elizabeth is remarkable. The weight of the responsibility she carries has to be crippling yet somehow she manages day to day. This memoir lead me to research immigration law. I’m not one to discuss political topics but wow. Read this, get some perspective and do your own research. It’s eye opening.

[Laura Rogers · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Side of the River is a memoir examining the plight of immigrants and first generation citizens in the United States. The story is urgent and timely and warrants 4*. However, with so many books on the subject to choose from, the writing was not as polished as I would have liked. Overall, I can recommend it, but only with 3*.

I received a drc from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Jodi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very easily consumed, but I didn't come away from it with clarity about what the author wants people to take away from it. Yes, she came from deprivation and injustice and nearly killed herself in an effort to "overcome," but I don't know if she's aware of how common that life is, even for non-immigrants/non-first generation Americans. She loves her family, but it seems like her solution to their struggles is to swing to the completely unrelatable uber-privileged sector.
I'm a third generation American on three sides of my family, but my upbringing had plenty of lack and I also understand the burdens of feeling forced into success and being the savior and retirement plan for parents. I also don't really understand the negative portrayal of people who try to save money ("crazy middle aged women who use coupons"), but I didn't end up at an Ivy League school, either.
Overall, I think this book would benefit from an update once the author is at least 10 years removed from college graduation and her sense of self might be clearer. At the same time, her Ivy League education certainly set her up for opportunities that most of us will never have. Hopefully she can find a healthy way to ground herself.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

They both knew from experience that the world simply wouldn't favor a brown uneducated Mexican girl. They knew how much of an advantage a good American education would be for their American daughter. They wanted the best for me. (loc. 133*)

Growing up in Arizona, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez knew that her parents worked themselves to the bone and struggled to get by—she lived it too. But it wasn't until she was a teenager that things changed irrevocably: her parents were denied visa renewals, and they couldn't get back into the US. With an American birth certificate and American passport, she could stay to get the education and future her parents wanted so desperately for her...but she'd have to do it alone.

Before I even understood the concept of citizenship, I knew I was protected in a way that they weren't. They were always aware of authority figures, making themselves smaller around cops and the law, hiding—something I didn't feel the need to do. "If you every feel unsafe, go to the police," my parents instructed. Unlike them, I didn't need to hide. (loc. 184)

And so Camarillo Gutierrez became homeless and parentless, because none of the options for the present were good but this would at least give her a better chance for the future. It's worth noting that these are decisions that most Americans don't have to make—one might have to decide which divorced parent to live with, or whether or not to go to boarding school, but far less often to stay where one's parents cannot follow or to figure out everything from housing to food alone because of this. It's a devastating situation to consider, and one that Camarillo Gutierrez describes with precision and clear eyes.

I won't say too much about where this journey took her (read the book to find out), but I found the earlier parts of the book, as Camarillo Gutierrez was getting through primary and secondary school, to be most compelling. I think that's partly because some of her later experiences are ones I've heard before, in various forms—not to suggest that they aren't worth hearing again, but...there's something particularly visceral about a child knowing that their parents cannot come if they are needed, no matter how desperately they want to. Too, I think the focus gets diluted somewhat—the earlier parts of the book cover some broader racism and xenophobia but narrow in on the ways that certain laws and government policies continue to fail citizens like Camarillo Gutierrez; later that expands again to the more general racism that Camarillo Gutierrez was (is) up against as a brown woman in places where white voices dominate. I can't fault her for including that very valid part of her story, but it's the earlier parts that will stick with me.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is so egocentric that I want to throw the book across the room. I think it is a disservice to the Hispanic community. She describes the men as angry, macho, abusive, control freaks and their women as subservient, fearful slaves denied birth control. Her mother certainly didn’t need another mouth to feed.

I’m all for immigration, but this book definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is a privilege to lives in this country, not a right to mock.

Four people living in a ramshackle garden shed? But she is concerned about name brand clothing? Not much of her story rings true.

Instead of grousing she should have been grateful to have a couch to sleep on. Maybe if she had been nicer to her benefactors it would have been a better experience. Was feeding her part of the deal?

Maybe if her parents had followed the rules of their Tourist Visa the first time around, they might have been able to get a current one.

She complains her way through Penn - good thing she didn’t get into Harvard!!

At her first job she has a big brown chip on her shoulder and goes out of her way to be disliked. She couldn’t even bother to get there on time.

How does she afford a NYC apartment, support her greedy family and fly all around on a meager salary from Wells Fargo. How can she afford dogs?

This woman is never going to be either satisfied or happy.

Sorry, my review is as jumbled and incoherent as this memoir!

I’ll write more later, she really makes me angry.

I could see vague similarities between this and Mango Street. The key words, education.

Emily, you are very familiar with the culture - I’m anxious to get your take on this one.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartfelt memoir about an American born daughter of Mexican parents and her journey through higher education and the New York City high finance profession as she encounters racism while trying to help her younger brother make a new life in America too. Great on audio and perfect for fans of books like Beautiful country by Qian Julie Wang.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez has chronicled her experiences as a first generation Mexican American. She does a great job writing about her parents' hard work ethic and their 'education first' mantra. In this memoir Elizabeth shows how immigration tore her family apart and affirmed her resolution to graduate college. The hardships she endured were like a punch in the gut as she was robbed of an adolescence as her main concern was to work hard and bring her brother to the US so he could have the same advantage of a good education as she had. Plus, she would send money to her parents. That's a lot of responsibility for a young adult. It's definitely worth the read to see how eloquently she put her moving story in words.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A memoir. Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez is the U.S.-born daughter of Mexican immigrants. When she was fifteen, a freshman in high school, and at the top of her class, her parents' visas expired, and they had to return to Mexico. Elizabeth became responsible for herself and her younger brother, Fer[dinand]. Education was always the mainstay of her parents' mantra--why she was in the U.S, education was the key to the "American Dream"--and the opportunities it afforded to get ahead.

Through "sheer teenage determination" Elizabeth forged her path ahead. The backstory of her parents' lives, their various living conditions, their families, the poverty, scraping by, her drive, resourcefulness, and will to survive [even thrive!]. her loneliness, mental anguish, and so much more. Immigration policies and broken families.

The "brown" girl who pushed the limits and didn't fit in to her various circumstances. The life she led with her brother Fer, who was initially brought back to Mexico after her parents had to leave and then returned to the U.S. as her ward so he too could have the same educational opportunities. Her life in Arizona, Philadelphia [at Penn], and then New York City as a member of the workforce [in finance].

Yes, the story is compelling. BUT I did not find the telling compelling. It was ingteresting and I was interested but felt the book lacked spark. I was always routing for her.

In the distinct minority of reviewer ratings.

[Ashley Rieple · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ rounded up. While I found the story interesting to be heard from her perspective, much of it was rather off-putting. I could sympathize with her struggles and my heart broke to hear what she experienced but she seemed to be angry with the wrong people. The last part of the book, she came across as a petulant child blaming the US for all of her problems instead of owning up to the role that her parents played in all of this. She complained of the terrible public school system in NY while her brother was able to access a free education. She bragged about “stealing some back” (or similar words) from what had been taken from her family. She complained of racism while making some racist statements of her own. It just left me with a negative opinion of the whole thing. I’m happy for how her life turned out and genuinely think our immigration laws are broken. However, this book, in my opinion, didn’t really help to support her cause. It just showed what can happen to families when our broken laws aren’t followed as written (until they are amended).

[Melinda Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whining and blaming sums up this book perfectly. Not much responsibility for her family’s life choices.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reads like a young adult book. I appreciate her life hardships and her diligence to escape but there was little gratitude for the help and opportunities she received.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t think of a more poignant book right now than this little gem. As a U.S. born citizen of Mexican immigrants, author Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez’ memoir navigates her journey starting with the U.S. immigration system to her desire for the American dream.

At the tender age of fifteen, her parents Visas are not renewed and they are sent back to Mexico. Between her fraught separation from them, and the adjustment to being the sole caregiver of her brother, she also faced poverty, hunger, and the need for stability. Growing up, her parents made sure she had a quality education on the good side of town. Herself wanting to be the best in class. That having a positive impact on her, she attended college and received guardianship of her brother so he would be provided his entitled education. She was driven to become a successful woman, all the while, dealing with prejudice and inclusion due to her skin color.

Gutierrez’ memoir shows the impact our failed immigration system has on families of children born to non-legal immigrants. With firsthand insight, Gutierrez provides a better understanding of this important issue by putting you in her shoes. A very thought provoking read. 5 stars — Pub. 2/13/24

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of an American who was separated from her parents when she was 16 because her parents, who were Mexican citizens, were sent back to Mexico. I know my opinion will be unpopular and politically incorrect but here it is: the author is truly admirable for having suffered through poverty and separation from her family at a tender age and having made a success of her life, BUT, the book seethes with entitlement, and I feel there are some fundamental facts left unsaid. Her mother was a Mexican citizen residing in Mexico, but when she was about to give birth, she came to the United States so her daughter could be an American citizen. I don't know how she paid for this hospital stay but I am guessing she didn't have health insurance, which means her hospital stay was tax-payer subsidized. When it was time to start school, the family moved to the US and her mother researched which was the best school for her daughter and managed to get her daughter enrolled in that school through subterfuge.

From primary school through graduation, 12 years of formal education, neither the author, nor anyone in her family paid any taxes to support that school system because, through no fault of their own, they were paid in cash under the table when they worked. During this time and through college the author was the recipient of bountiful scholarships, fully funded trips all over the world, subsidized meals at school, and many other benefits. I'm glad she received these benefits but they're not free. They are tax-payer subsidized, which means I (and other working Americans) paid for them. You're welcome. When she got to college, the bounty continued and she received four years at an Ivy League school and graduated college debt-free.

It's true the author sacrificed to get ahead, but she couldn't have accomplished what she did without our collective sacrifices through our tax-paying burden, which is not a small thing. And I agree that the immigration laws need reform but that would have to include anchor babies as well. Over-all I liked the book and thought it was well-written.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful read, words tumbling free association style as if there are not enough pages to hold all Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez has to say. She moves from one outrage to another, talking hard to the reader as she stands in the middle of her experiences. It actually wore me out a little - however - the message is needful, and so my reading self girded, I continued.

The author tells a story that needs telling, experiences that are difficult and consistently ignored by those who could actually be problem-solvers. Instead, they move on. So, keep talking, keep using your words and your ardent voice, Ms. Camarillo Gutierrez. You are on our radar, and that's a good thing.

*A sincere thank you to Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 25|52:15a

[Holly Dyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a lot that I could say about this memoir, but probably the most succinct explanation is that the author should try again in at least 10 years. I don't want to downgrade the struggles of her story, and my favorite parts were the middle section on her struggling to continue her education immediately upon separation, and the bits of her advocacy work. But in general, the writing is very green, and it shows that she's trying to write a memoir in her mid-20's. Hopefully with more time she can have more reflection and larger takeaways, and perhaps get more into advocacy for immigrant stories.

[Shelby (catching up on 2025 reviews)]

My Side of the River is a deeply moving memoir about the life of a first-generation Mexican-American who is separated from her Mexican immigrant parents at the age of fifteen. Her harrowing, tumultuous journey from a childhood of poverty, to a homeless, food-insecure teen, to the Ivy League and beyond, is empowering and inspirational.
*Note: there are some critical reviews indicating that the author — who wrote this book in her twenties — doesn't have enough life experience to tell her story. I'd like to point out that a "memoir" chronicles a slice of life, while an "autobiography" tells an entire life's story. This book is a memoir, not an autobiography.

[Michelle Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to rate a memoir so low but I really hated this book. Her life was difficult, but it’s told in an elitist tone. I have so many questions. She made several racist remarks. She tried to relate some parts of life that people of every color deal with, to something only she experienced bc of being an immigrant. I do agree with others that you can tell she is young and maybe she should have waited and wrote it after 10 more years.

[Elizabeth Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't repeat publishers summaries in my reviews; rather my opinions of the writing and content, and how the book affected me. In my opinion, this is an excellent memoir. It swept me up with the compelling narrative. The writing is simple and accessible. Yet a myriad of more complex issues are covered with clarity, insight, tenderness, anger, sadness, humor, and more.

It's a bit difficult to write a lot of detail, because so much of the book is spoilers--so much happens in her journey. The first 30% or so is more foundational, less dramatic; setting a clear stage for what will ensue in her life path to now. She details both the pain and the warmth in her childhood, as the child of poor Mexican immigrants in the U.S., and fills us in with interesting stories. But then things really start to happen and it was very hard to put this book down!

One impressive thing is how she writes from childhood forward and seems to match the consciousness of each age in her writing. Meaning, in childhood I felt her awareness and wording matched a child. And so on up through each age. This gave me the very real feeling of being in her shoes, making this an immersive reading experience. I also felt that not only did the narrative evolve with her, but that each stage transitioned in such a natural, organic manner, and her descriptions again matched those transitions to where I felt a part of her story.

She also does something I REALLY appreciate: she translates most of any dialogue from the Spanish to the English in which I read this book. I understand inserting native language here and there in a book, but I am truly fed up with those who don't translate it, which seems to unfortunately be in vogue.

This story is an immigrant story but so much more. It is about family, the educational system from elementary to the Ivy Leagues (& the help vs. oppression it may offer), the incomparable value of friends, stress, politics, the legal system, determination, domestic violence, food insecurity, working the system, responsibilities, burdens, stereotypes, life's ups and downs, and a hundred other things packed into this fairly quick, easy read. Elizabeth shares her inner thoughts and breakdowns, as well as breakthroughs and victories in an honest and transparent manner. I recommend this to anyone and everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the advance reading copy!

[Dezirah Remington · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been splashed onto all of the 2024 lists of books to watch for, so I was so excited to get a copy. I was also excited to read an own voices account of a woman growing up and separated from her parents by US immigration policy. This is a story that needs to be told, and Carmarillo Gutierrez has the story that most would want to read. She has overcome a lot, and has a drive to succeed that few people can match. It was her drive that kept her number one in her class with all of the extracurriculars while her parents were unable to reenter the US. It was her drive that got her in and through Penn. It was her drive that landed her on NPR as a college student and on the TED stage less than 2 years out of college. For all of these reasons and for the plight of her family and her strength we need to hear her story, and it is clear that this story is in her words, there is obviously no ghost writer involved.

As a memoir, beyond the story of this remarkable young woman, this falls flat. Camarillo Gutierrez comments repeatedly about how she is viewed as the daughter of immigrants (she also refers to herself as an immigrant, she is a US citizen but has lived in both Mexico and the US) and that she worries that are successes are used as a model to justify the treatment of other immigrants that don’t reach the same levels of success. Which I appreciate as a sentiment, but this is a memoir that glorifies the success (through a very WASP lens) and the extreme sacrifices that she and her family had to make for her success. This is giving political memoir just before a candidate announces… which could be a good thing.

My worry is that this will be used by those in power not as a love letter to immigrants, but instead as an excuse against individuals who are not exceptional. Not everyone can or will be exceptional, and that does not justify dehumanization for those that are closer to average.

I’m glad that a book like this is getting hyped. However, I would hope that books like Undocumented Americans would also get love from and eyes on the page.

Last note, this was an uncorrected copy, so I know that the finished product paying customers will read will be more polished, but this edition was pretty rough even when compared to other ARCs. I hope that a good and thoughtful editor has been working with the author to produce the best writing possible for the end product.

[Collette · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez is an honest portrayal of a first-generation immigrant who will stop at nothing to achieve "the American Dream" via an Ivy League education. Elizabeth's memoir tells the story of her growing up with Mexican parents who come to America on tourist visas and scrape together a life of hard work, poor living conditions and family conflict, hoping to give their children something better. They made sure Elizabeth went to school in the more priviledged side of Tucson because they were convinced that a quality education was the key to a better life. Elizabeth grew up pouring her heart, soul and mind into school, determined to be, as her mom told her on her first day, "the best."

Elizabeth's life, marked by poverty, separation from her family, hunger and instability, is a testament to what can be accomplished when wishing and wanting make way for an obsessive drive for success. She shares her experiences as a "brown girl" from Mexico, navigating American society and the flawed institutions that harbor prejudice and exclusion towards those who "don't belong."

As honesty is the highlight of this story, she also examines what this determination does to a person, and the cost of such a pursuit. No one escapes a difficult childhood unscathed, and her resentment is palpable, some of which may not even be conscious. Reading this story made me feel empathetic towards her, and I also found myself routing her on, willing her to make it to the top, and then immediately question in my own mind, what is the top? This is a memoir where the slice of life described may be too small, as I suspect that there is much more of her story yet to be written.

Thank you to GoodReads Giveaways and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this engaging and thought-provoking read.

[LiteraryMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this candid age-progressing memoir, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez shares her experience as a U.S. born daughter of immigrants. She lived south of the Rillito River in Tucson, Arizona. Crossing into Mexico used to be seamless. Then her parents' visa expired and they were forced to return to Mexico. Elizabeth was left responsible for her younger brother and education.

Imagine living in fear. Imagine having to stay in Mexico when your life is in the United States. Imagine separating from your children and deciding to leave them a world away for a chance at better education. Imagine having to fade into crowds. Imagine working a job you hate in a system that doesn't see your family as humans. On a lighter note, imagine the smell of fresh tamales and watching Disney as a form of escape.

Elizabeth so honestly shares her experience from early childhood to adulthood with the hopes that readers will understand. She did a fine job translating her Brown girl story to print.

My Side of the River explores themes of immigration, broken families, separation trauma and sacrifices. There are sad moments but through it all, I admire Elizabeth's determination to succeed despite adversities and constantly fighting currents. Usually I recommend nonfiction releases to Bookhearts that like memoirs but My Side of the River needs to be read by politicians to absorb the effects of their views made into laws.

Happy Early Pub Day, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez! My Side of the River will be available Tuesday, February 13, 2024.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie