The Border Between Us

by Rudy Ruiz

The Border Between Us is a poignant coming-of-age novel from one of the most exciting voices in fiction. Ramón López was born along the US-Mexico border but is determined to get out and embrace the American dream—and he’s not sure whether his complicated family is a help or a hindrance. As the son of immigrants, as Ramón grows, his admiration for his entrepreneurial father sours as he watches his dad’s dreams of success wither on the vine. Ramón’s mother is constantly preoccupied with his younger brother, who struggles with intellectual disabilities. And the outside world is rife with danger and temptations threatening to distract Ramón from his dreams of making it to New York and succeeding as an artist. As dreams clash with reality and values conflict with desires, Ramón finds the American dream within his reach—but will it demand too big a sacrifice? Award-winning author Rudy Ruiz brilliantly captures the beauty and the danger of border life as Ramón struggles to understand his home and his place in the world. The Border Between Us is a stunning, compassionate story about a son’s fraught relationship with his father, the challenges of pursuing a creative life when you come from humble beginnings, and the power of embracing the whole of who you are.

Unknown Binding

About the author

Rudy Ruiz is an award-winning author of literary fiction. A native of the US-Mexico border, Ruiz writes from the heart about Latino culture, the bilingual/bicultural experience, immigration and acculturation issues. His fiction debut, Seven for the Revolution, won four International Latino Book Awards, including First Place for Best Popular Fiction and The Mariposa Award for Best First Book. He also received the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction in 2017. His novel, The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez, was released in 2020 and won two Gold Medals at the International Latino Book Awards, including the Rudolfo Anaya Best Latino-Focused Fiction Book and Best Audio Book. Valley of Shadows was released in 2022. It was named one of the Top Horror Novels of 2022 by LitHub's CrimeReads and was selected by the Texas Institute of Letters as winner of the Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Work of Fiction. His most recent novel, The Border Between Us, is a coming-of-age story that further explores the immigrant experience in America. The novel won Ruiz's ninth and tenth International Latino Book Awards, including the Gold Medal for Best Latino-Focused Fiction Book and Best Audio Book. Audible named it one of the Top 10 Audio Books of 2024. After its release, Ruiz was longlisted for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Rudy Ruiz earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Harvard. In 2024 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters.