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How to Look Away: On American Cruelty and the Refusal to Disappear
A riveting, kaleidoscopic portrait of the American compulsion toward cruelty and our power to subvert it from an award-winning contributor to The Guardian and The New York Times.
In How to Look Away, Daniel Peña explores how fringe elements of his Texas childhood—AM radio, conspiracy theories, Post-Cold War paranoia—came to dominate the American political discourse and contributed to our extreme tolerance of human rights abuses against migrants from Latin America and elsewhere. He What compels us to look away from these abuses? And how do we wake ourselves into action?
These evocative essays braid journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir, roaming from the vestigial Comanche War battlefields of his native Austin, to the black markets of Mexico City, to the home of a cartel hitman’s family doomed to live in the unglamorous aftermath of his crimes. Writing from both Mexico and the United States, Daniel Peña reflects on two childhood demons and the death penalty. Or the answer to the question, “Do you ever really belong to yourself?” A question that serves as the looking glass through which Peña meditates on American citizenship and the kinds of people we are willing to disappear in the name of the American project.
How to Look Away conjures disquiet and longing beside clarity and hope as it offers a haunting account of the strange bond between two nations, this American moment, and the land upon which our bodies stand.
In How to Look Away, Daniel Peña explores how fringe elements of his Texas childhood—AM radio, conspiracy theories, Post-Cold War paranoia—came to dominate the American political discourse and contributed to our extreme tolerance of human rights abuses against migrants from Latin America and elsewhere. He What compels us to look away from these abuses? And how do we wake ourselves into action?
These evocative essays braid journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir, roaming from the vestigial Comanche War battlefields of his native Austin, to the black markets of Mexico City, to the home of a cartel hitman’s family doomed to live in the unglamorous aftermath of his crimes. Writing from both Mexico and the United States, Daniel Peña reflects on two childhood demons and the death penalty. Or the answer to the question, “Do you ever really belong to yourself?” A question that serves as the looking glass through which Peña meditates on American citizenship and the kinds of people we are willing to disappear in the name of the American project.
How to Look Away conjures disquiet and longing beside clarity and hope as it offers a haunting account of the strange bond between two nations, this American moment, and the land upon which our bodies stand.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published October 6, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
How to Look Away is one of those books that asks you to sit with discomfort instead of turning away from it, which is exactly the point.
Daniel Peña blends memoir, journalism, history, and cultural criticism in a way that feels deeply personal while examining much larger systems. His exploration of the relationship between the United States and Mexico, migration, citizenship, violence, and who we collectively decide is worthy of our attention was incredibly powerful. There is so much here about how cruelty becomes normalized when we are taught not to see the people experiencing it.
I especially appreciated how Peña connects these larger conversations to his own experiences and upbringing. It keeps the essays grounded in humanity rather than allowing these subjects to become abstract political conversations. As a Latine reader, there were pieces of this that hit particularly hard, especially the questions surrounding belonging, identity, and what America asks us to accept in exchange for looking the other way.
This isn't always an easy or comfortable read, nor should it be. Peña's writing is thoughtful, sharp, and incredibly intentional without losing the emotional weight behind what he's discussing.
How to Look Away made me angry, reflective, uncomfortable, and hopeful in equal measure. More importantly, it made me think about what it means to actually pay attention when looking away would be easier.
An incredibly important collection and an easy 5 stars for me.
Daniel Peña blends memoir, journalism, history, and cultural criticism in a way that feels deeply personal while examining much larger systems. His exploration of the relationship between the United States and Mexico, migration, citizenship, violence, and who we collectively decide is worthy of our attention was incredibly powerful. There is so much here about how cruelty becomes normalized when we are taught not to see the people experiencing it.
I especially appreciated how Peña connects these larger conversations to his own experiences and upbringing. It keeps the essays grounded in humanity rather than allowing these subjects to become abstract political conversations. As a Latine reader, there were pieces of this that hit particularly hard, especially the questions surrounding belonging, identity, and what America asks us to accept in exchange for looking the other way.
This isn't always an easy or comfortable read, nor should it be. Peña's writing is thoughtful, sharp, and incredibly intentional without losing the emotional weight behind what he's discussing.
How to Look Away made me angry, reflective, uncomfortable, and hopeful in equal measure. More importantly, it made me think about what it means to actually pay attention when looking away would be easier.
An incredibly important collection and an easy 5 stars for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book made me uncomfortable. And I think I needed to be uncomfortable.
How to Look Away forced me to confront my own white privilege in a way that I wasn't entirely prepared for. I have the privilege of looking away. I can choose when to engage with racism, when to read about it, when to talk about it, and when to close the book and go about my day. People of color don't have that privilege. They don't get to look away from the realities this book explores.
And honestly? That realization left me feeling helpless.
If I, as a white person, can feel this helpless simply by confronting these things on the page, I can't even begin to imagine what that helplessness must feel like for someone who has to live with racism rather than just read about it.
There were several times while reading this book when I had to stop and sit with what I was feeling. I had to ask myself why I felt guilty. I had to confront some of my own internalized racism and the ways I've learned to make myself feel better about looking away.
I tell myself that I'm doing something. I vote. I share information. I write my representatives. I try to speak up when I can. And those things matter. But this book made me question whether sometimes I use those actions as proof that I've done enough. That I've checked the box. That I can feel like one of the "good ones."
But what does "enough" even mean when other people don't have the option of walking away?
I don't have an easy answer to that. Maybe I'm not supposed to.
What I do know is that this book made me think. It made me reflect. It made me sit with feelings that I really wanted to push away because they were uncomfortable. And instead of immediately trying to make myself feel better, I tried to stay in that discomfort and listen to what it was telling me.
Beyond the subject matter, Peña is a beautiful writer. His essays are incredibly vivid. He sets scenes so carefully that you can picture them in your mind, almost hear the sounds around you, and even smell the odors. His writing makes these essays feel immediate and alive.
This isn't a book I would describe as an easy read. But I don't think it is supposed to be.
I think How to Look Away is a book everyone should read, especially those of us who have the privilege of looking away. Read it. Let it make you uncomfortable. Sit with that discomfort. Ask yourself why you're feeling it.
And then, hopefully, don't look away.
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
How to Look Away forced me to confront my own white privilege in a way that I wasn't entirely prepared for. I have the privilege of looking away. I can choose when to engage with racism, when to read about it, when to talk about it, and when to close the book and go about my day. People of color don't have that privilege. They don't get to look away from the realities this book explores.
And honestly? That realization left me feeling helpless.
If I, as a white person, can feel this helpless simply by confronting these things on the page, I can't even begin to imagine what that helplessness must feel like for someone who has to live with racism rather than just read about it.
There were several times while reading this book when I had to stop and sit with what I was feeling. I had to ask myself why I felt guilty. I had to confront some of my own internalized racism and the ways I've learned to make myself feel better about looking away.
I tell myself that I'm doing something. I vote. I share information. I write my representatives. I try to speak up when I can. And those things matter. But this book made me question whether sometimes I use those actions as proof that I've done enough. That I've checked the box. That I can feel like one of the "good ones."
But what does "enough" even mean when other people don't have the option of walking away?
I don't have an easy answer to that. Maybe I'm not supposed to.
What I do know is that this book made me think. It made me reflect. It made me sit with feelings that I really wanted to push away because they were uncomfortable. And instead of immediately trying to make myself feel better, I tried to stay in that discomfort and listen to what it was telling me.
Beyond the subject matter, Peña is a beautiful writer. His essays are incredibly vivid. He sets scenes so carefully that you can picture them in your mind, almost hear the sounds around you, and even smell the odors. His writing makes these essays feel immediate and alive.
This isn't a book I would describe as an easy read. But I don't think it is supposed to be.
I think How to Look Away is a book everyone should read, especially those of us who have the privilege of looking away. Read it. Let it make you uncomfortable. Sit with that discomfort. Ask yourself why you're feeling it.
And then, hopefully, don't look away.
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 27, 2026
I struggle to find anything to say anything about How to Look Away that would add more than the text itself. It's instantly essential reading.
This collection of braided essays takes the reader into the volatile landscape immigrants (and citizens) find themselves in the present-day United States: border patrol, ICE raids, micro- and macro aggressions Latinx folks face every day.
Peña shares his own experiences growing up—and loving—the state of Texas while being forced to face the lingering racism and xenophobia so rampant across Texas (and the rest of the country). He faces regular interruptions from ICE agents while simply existing on the campus of the college where he teaches. His neighbors find his birdwatching suspicious. He visits family in Mexico who are forced to constantly look over their shoulders for the cartel, still threatening death long after a family member committed his strikes against them.
Peña weaves in research, statistics, and thorough interviews with a variety of people, like the deportee ripped from his family and forced into a tourism industry that commodifies cultural rituals as he faces a dwindling chance of return. He chases a crypto queen who is all but a ghost, feigning a luxurious life while still living in fear. He deftly compares pop culture and other cultural touchstones with the conservative regression that leaks out of the political world into every day life for millions of people. Most impressively of all, he manages to pen these works in a way that allows them to be digestible without losing any sense of urgency, sacrificing any passion, or losing any of the text's rich density.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
This collection of braided essays takes the reader into the volatile landscape immigrants (and citizens) find themselves in the present-day United States: border patrol, ICE raids, micro- and macro aggressions Latinx folks face every day.
Peña shares his own experiences growing up—and loving—the state of Texas while being forced to face the lingering racism and xenophobia so rampant across Texas (and the rest of the country). He faces regular interruptions from ICE agents while simply existing on the campus of the college where he teaches. His neighbors find his birdwatching suspicious. He visits family in Mexico who are forced to constantly look over their shoulders for the cartel, still threatening death long after a family member committed his strikes against them.
Peña weaves in research, statistics, and thorough interviews with a variety of people, like the deportee ripped from his family and forced into a tourism industry that commodifies cultural rituals as he faces a dwindling chance of return. He chases a crypto queen who is all but a ghost, feigning a luxurious life while still living in fear. He deftly compares pop culture and other cultural touchstones with the conservative regression that leaks out of the political world into every day life for millions of people. Most impressively of all, he manages to pen these works in a way that allows them to be digestible without losing any sense of urgency, sacrificing any passion, or losing any of the text's rich density.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I went into "How to Look Away" completely blind, and this is what I'd also recommend for any future readers. It doesn't fall into any standard genre I can think of, although "political nonfiction" might be the closest I can get. Blending aspects of journalism, memoir, and personal musings and societal critiques, this is a deceptively short but heavy work.
Peña has truly lived a thousand lives, as he recounts his own past growing up in Austin, to following a group of Mexican deportees who create a religious tour for white tourists in Mexico City, to his present in the US where he's threatened by ICE as a professor at the University of North Texas. His experiences are vast, his critiques sharp and biting (but also uncomfortably true), and his conclusions both depressing yet hopeful. This casts a harsh light on the past and present, questioning as well the portrayal and stereotypes in widespread media, including movies and shows that most of us have readily consumed.
Not an easy read by any means, but one that I think is relevant and eye-opening for everyone.
Peña has truly lived a thousand lives, as he recounts his own past growing up in Austin, to following a group of Mexican deportees who create a religious tour for white tourists in Mexico City, to his present in the US where he's threatened by ICE as a professor at the University of North Texas. His experiences are vast, his critiques sharp and biting (but also uncomfortably true), and his conclusions both depressing yet hopeful. This casts a harsh light on the past and present, questioning as well the portrayal and stereotypes in widespread media, including movies and shows that most of us have readily consumed.
Not an easy read by any means, but one that I think is relevant and eye-opening for everyone.
October 18, 2026
Why I was interested in this book:
Sometimes we need to push ourselves to experience new worlds. Even if we're living in the same world. How to Look Away looked like a reality check read that features empowering stories of strength.
My assessment:
The essays are rich in detail. The stories intense. I admit that I was not able to finish the book because it was starting to trigger me. But I hope I'll get back to it another time. I am assuming that the essays I haven't read will be equally as powerful as those that I have.
Stories of the human condition:
You can't turn a page in this book without reading about the human condition. Finding life and happiness amidst invisibility - or worse - can be a struggle but humans have a way of persevering.
Full disclosure:
I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Based on the book 's author and its cover, I knew I had to read it.
Read more of my reviews at https://tugglegrassblues.wordpress.com/.
Sometimes we need to push ourselves to experience new worlds. Even if we're living in the same world. How to Look Away looked like a reality check read that features empowering stories of strength.
My assessment:
The essays are rich in detail. The stories intense. I admit that I was not able to finish the book because it was starting to trigger me. But I hope I'll get back to it another time. I am assuming that the essays I haven't read will be equally as powerful as those that I have.
Stories of the human condition:
You can't turn a page in this book without reading about the human condition. Finding life and happiness amidst invisibility - or worse - can be a struggle but humans have a way of persevering.
Full disclosure:
I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Based on the book 's author and its cover, I knew I had to read it.
Read more of my reviews at https://tugglegrassblues.wordpress.com/.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the advance reader's copy.
This was an interesting, thought-provoking read that gave me a lot to think about. Peña found a way to blend memoir, journalism, and cultural criticism to examine American cruelty, anti-immigrant violence, and the ways people are encouraged to turn away from harm happening around them. His essays move between Texas, Mexico City, border politics, childhood fears, conspiracy culture, and questions of citizenship and belonging, which made the book feel expansive but still personal.
It is was not always an easy read, but it was a meaningful one. I appreciated how the book challenged me to think more critically about the stories (or lies) America tells itself and the people it chooses to overlook to maintain their own status.
This was an interesting, thought-provoking read that gave me a lot to think about. Peña found a way to blend memoir, journalism, and cultural criticism to examine American cruelty, anti-immigrant violence, and the ways people are encouraged to turn away from harm happening around them. His essays move between Texas, Mexico City, border politics, childhood fears, conspiracy culture, and questions of citizenship and belonging, which made the book feel expansive but still personal.
It is was not always an easy read, but it was a meaningful one. I appreciated how the book challenged me to think more critically about the stories (or lies) America tells itself and the people it chooses to overlook to maintain their own status.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
thank you to @oneworld the the advanced copy! this one will be published October 6th
this is a challenging collection of essays that invites the reader to look at the complexities of what it means to define an enemy, to other someone so much that we create a false sense of difference, a difference so vast that we don’t or won’t feel a sense of responsibility for the wellbeing of those “others.” and the false sense allows us to demonize the other, to suggest that whatever harm the u.s. government is inflicting is deserved, that we can look at this harm but we do not have to care. based in the idea that if it’s happening to “them” it won’t happen to “us.” definitely recommend this!
this is a challenging collection of essays that invites the reader to look at the complexities of what it means to define an enemy, to other someone so much that we create a false sense of difference, a difference so vast that we don’t or won’t feel a sense of responsibility for the wellbeing of those “others.” and the false sense allows us to demonize the other, to suggest that whatever harm the u.s. government is inflicting is deserved, that we can look at this harm but we do not have to care. based in the idea that if it’s happening to “them” it won’t happen to “us.” definitely recommend this!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Phew. There's a reason I rarely read political books. My heart feels heavy. But I also know it's important to read some nonfiction once in a while and learn a little bit about the non-fiction world. These stories read like fiction which made it an "easy" read, but only in terms of the denseness of the prose. The subject matter is important and opened my eyes to some things i had no idea about. No matter your take on immigration and what is going on in the world, you can't deny Pena's voice, and you shouldn't.
October 15, 2026
Poignant and straight to the point when it comes to the horrors we are witnessing lately in the US. From every perspective, Latino immigrants to George Floyd.
Thanks PRH audio for the alc
Thanks PRH audio for the alc
September 21, 2026
daniel peña’s writing is so raw, it’ll make you feel like someone is calling out your existence through the pages. we are MEANT to be uncomfortable. his stories and experiences of immigration, deportation, and alienation are heart-breaking and eye-opening. but don’t you dare look away…
to look away is to be complicit in the atrocities that are plaguing us as human beings. peña’s experiences in journalism shine through his words. he asks his readers important questions like:
• why do you need to see the death to believe it?
• why do you need someone else’s tragedy to act as your own catalyst to push you into action?
• in a modern age where most people are obtaining news through short and digestible social media clips, how have we become so accustomed to seeing tragedy unfold before our eyes, just to be distracted the very next second after liking/commenting/sharing? is it to fill our own conscience? do we think the problems will just go away when we scroll on past it to the next post? do we feel relieved that it isn’t happening to us, and that’s enough for us to force ourselves out of that discomfort?
there were so many raw truths in this book.
we are not meant to be used to seeing or hearing about these horrors, and it really is everyone’s individual responsibility to not look away.
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
to look away is to be complicit in the atrocities that are plaguing us as human beings. peña’s experiences in journalism shine through his words. he asks his readers important questions like:
• why do you need to see the death to believe it?
• why do you need someone else’s tragedy to act as your own catalyst to push you into action?
• in a modern age where most people are obtaining news through short and digestible social media clips, how have we become so accustomed to seeing tragedy unfold before our eyes, just to be distracted the very next second after liking/commenting/sharing? is it to fill our own conscience? do we think the problems will just go away when we scroll on past it to the next post? do we feel relieved that it isn’t happening to us, and that’s enough for us to force ourselves out of that discomfort?
there were so many raw truths in this book.
we are not meant to be used to seeing or hearing about these horrors, and it really is everyone’s individual responsibility to not look away.
thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a beautiful, reflective, serious and very important book, especially for these times. Peña’s prose makes the book “easy” to read, though the topic is not easy at all. I was also able to listen to a preview of the audiobook on the publisher’s website. This is one of those books where I’m going to have to get both versions. The audiobook for really immersing myself in the descriptions and to appreciate the melodic way Peña writes (he performs the audio himself). And the physical book for the opportunity to really sit with some of the phrases and ideas. Aesthetically, I’m also just super excited about how pretty the cover will look on my bookshelf. All in all I’m excited for more from Peña. I could see him becoming the Latino Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews