What do you think?
Rate this book
The Education of a Wetback
It was never Toño’s plan to leave El Salvador behind.
Toño has spent his entire life rising hours before dawn to feed the animals and mind the farm of his father Jose Angel. He wants nothing more than a plot of land and a farm of his own. And he knows exactly how to get it: make his way across the Mexican border to the United States of America, where he’ll earn enough money to help his family and himself.
It’s like Jose Angel says the day Toño leaves: “You always have a home to come back to.”
But the year is 1979. And the Salvadoran Civil War is about to begin.
Now Toño is working under the table for jewelers and roofers and cohabitating with his fellow immigrants, working every moment he can to secure his plans. He’s searching for a woman who might help him start his own family in El Salvador, and abandoning those who won’t sacrifice their dreams for his—all the while ignoring his father’s warnings of the chaos back home.
What happens when a dream disappears? In uncertain circumstances in an unfamiliar country, can you find another life to fight for?
Marcos Antonio Hernandez’s The Education of a Wetback is a moving story of the haphazard, unexpected search for the American dream.
Toño has spent his entire life rising hours before dawn to feed the animals and mind the farm of his father Jose Angel. He wants nothing more than a plot of land and a farm of his own. And he knows exactly how to get it: make his way across the Mexican border to the United States of America, where he’ll earn enough money to help his family and himself.
It’s like Jose Angel says the day Toño leaves: “You always have a home to come back to.”
But the year is 1979. And the Salvadoran Civil War is about to begin.
Now Toño is working under the table for jewelers and roofers and cohabitating with his fellow immigrants, working every moment he can to secure his plans. He’s searching for a woman who might help him start his own family in El Salvador, and abandoning those who won’t sacrifice their dreams for his—all the while ignoring his father’s warnings of the chaos back home.
What happens when a dream disappears? In uncertain circumstances in an unfamiliar country, can you find another life to fight for?
Marcos Antonio Hernandez’s The Education of a Wetback is a moving story of the haphazard, unexpected search for the American dream.
272 pages, Paperback
Published June 24, 2019
140 people are currently reading
667 people want to read
About the author
Marcos Antonio Hernandez
17 books113 followersMarcos writes from the suburbs of Washington D.C. He didn’t always know about his passion for writing but has always known about his passion for reading. He began by carving out time every day to develop the habit of writing until the foundations of his first novel had been built. He reads everything he can get his hands on but particularly enjoys science fiction/fantasy. When reading is not possible, he has his headphones in, listening to audiobooks.
After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in chemical engineering and a minor in physics, Marcos has been lucky enough to have not one but two dream jobs. He began flexing his creativity muscles during his time as a food scientist at a dessert think tank, specializing in helping clients find solutions to their frozen dessert problems (read: professional ice cream maker). After leaving this career, he began a new career as a strength and conditioning coach (what he calls his “retirement”). He has been a coach for over five years and enjoys interacting with a diverse range of people.
Marcos believes in training his creativity muscles through storytelling. Like exercise, he believes in showing up every day to get the work done. His hope is to learn from every experience and let it shine through the stories he tells.
After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in chemical engineering and a minor in physics, Marcos has been lucky enough to have not one but two dream jobs. He began flexing his creativity muscles during his time as a food scientist at a dessert think tank, specializing in helping clients find solutions to their frozen dessert problems (read: professional ice cream maker). After leaving this career, he began a new career as a strength and conditioning coach (what he calls his “retirement”). He has been a coach for over five years and enjoys interacting with a diverse range of people.
Marcos believes in training his creativity muscles through storytelling. Like exercise, he believes in showing up every day to get the work done. His hope is to learn from every experience and let it shine through the stories he tells.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 5, 2022
I really loved this book and I'm looking forward to more from this author.
THE EDUCATION OF A WETBACK by Marcos Antonio Hernandez is the story of the adventures of Toño, a young El Salvadoran who immigrates illegally to the US in the early 1980s. My favorite thing about this book is that it addresses some very serious subject matters--adultry, divorce, and remarriage, for example, the neglect of female children, sex work and sex workers, mental health concercerns, police corruption and justice--and does it all in a tone as dry and light as powder. The narrator merely claps its hands to rid itself of a topic and move on. And yet, this only feels like levity or comedy when such is intentional; otherwise, it's just shaking off the road dirt on the journey through the book.
Before I read this, I heard quite a lot about readers who found the title insensitive or controversial. I can understand their position. I don't find the term triggering, so I read the book; but that leads to an important point about audience. Who is the book meant for? I can read it and write about it without discomfort, but was I the person the author meant to benefit from the text in the first place? I can't say what Hernandez intended of course, but from my reading, it seems he's trying to reach readers who have no experience of their own with immigration. He wants the reader to consider that experience from a place of near ignorance. This book is Hernandez's response to popular notions about illegal immigration among (mostly) white US citizens--most importantly, why don't immigrants just go back where they came from? (The answer to this, by the way, is astoundingly obvious, but to see it play out in narrative is beyond brilliant.)
If you don't find the language and content triggering, this is a very brilliant book. If you don't find the language and content triggering, you should read this. You will probably expand your consideration of an important topic about your fellow humans.
Rating 5 stars
Finished September 2022
Recommended to fans of Sandra Cisneros and Junot Diaz if you were going to, you know, mash them together, contemporary fiction featuring diverse voices and stories, contemporary magical realism that throws back to that genre's roots, *readers who love good books*
TW oh man there's so many I don't even know where to start. How about the title? Racist language, racism (mostly off page), police and law enforcement in varying shades (including corrupt ones), illegal border crossing, loss of fetus (off page), toxic relationships, child abuse (off page), going hungry and food withholding, infidelity, divorce, more I'm sure I'm missing. EDUCATION OF A WETBACK is excellent, but it discusses some difficult topics, and does so adeptly.
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
THE EDUCATION OF A WETBACK by Marcos Antonio Hernandez is the story of the adventures of Toño, a young El Salvadoran who immigrates illegally to the US in the early 1980s. My favorite thing about this book is that it addresses some very serious subject matters--adultry, divorce, and remarriage, for example, the neglect of female children, sex work and sex workers, mental health concercerns, police corruption and justice--and does it all in a tone as dry and light as powder. The narrator merely claps its hands to rid itself of a topic and move on. And yet, this only feels like levity or comedy when such is intentional; otherwise, it's just shaking off the road dirt on the journey through the book.
Before I read this, I heard quite a lot about readers who found the title insensitive or controversial. I can understand their position. I don't find the term triggering, so I read the book; but that leads to an important point about audience. Who is the book meant for? I can read it and write about it without discomfort, but was I the person the author meant to benefit from the text in the first place? I can't say what Hernandez intended of course, but from my reading, it seems he's trying to reach readers who have no experience of their own with immigration. He wants the reader to consider that experience from a place of near ignorance. This book is Hernandez's response to popular notions about illegal immigration among (mostly) white US citizens--most importantly, why don't immigrants just go back where they came from? (The answer to this, by the way, is astoundingly obvious, but to see it play out in narrative is beyond brilliant.)
If you don't find the language and content triggering, this is a very brilliant book. If you don't find the language and content triggering, you should read this. You will probably expand your consideration of an important topic about your fellow humans.
Rating 5 stars
Finished September 2022
Recommended to fans of Sandra Cisneros and Junot Diaz if you were going to, you know, mash them together, contemporary fiction featuring diverse voices and stories, contemporary magical realism that throws back to that genre's roots, *readers who love good books*
TW oh man there's so many I don't even know where to start. How about the title? Racist language, racism (mostly off page), police and law enforcement in varying shades (including corrupt ones), illegal border crossing, loss of fetus (off page), toxic relationships, child abuse (off page), going hungry and food withholding, infidelity, divorce, more I'm sure I'm missing. EDUCATION OF A WETBACK is excellent, but it discusses some difficult topics, and does so adeptly.
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
September 13, 2020
I read this book as part of a book club. The title of this book stung a little because of the oppression attached to it. I was hoping the author would somehow reclaim the use of this word giving it a little dignity. He did not. .There was a lack of depth to the characters. And although the form in which it was written was as an easy read, I had a difficult time finishing it. As a Latinx person. I really wanted to like this book and be supportive. It lacks in culture. Perhaps the author was writing for a different audience.
January 25, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I love the magical realism and easy to read storytelling. I read some of the low-scoring reviews and noticed those who didn’t care for the book seem to agree on a few similar thoughts- that the story doesn’t do the title justice and that Toño’s character (and other characters) are underdeveloped. I thought I’d offer a counter for both.
First, the title was what drew me to the book. Some people said they were offended by the author not making the story “powerful” enough to reclaim the word. I disagree there. I think the point of a targeted group or person reclaiming a derogatory term, in this case a racial slur, is making the word their own and redefining what it means in order to take away it’s power of discrimination. Why does Toño have to have a “powerful” story? Why does his experience crossing the border have to be a hard, dangerous, life-or-death obstacle course? I don’t think the character should have to earn validity by measure of difficulty in crossing the border. Sure, that isn’t a lot of people’s experience (unfortunately) but this book takes place over 40 years ago. Perhaps his experience was relative for this point in history, or perhaps the point is to show that his experience was not what people “expect” an immigrant’s experience to be. That being said, I don’t mind the title. I don’t think Toño should have had to earn his reclaim of the word or prove his brownness to gain the readers’ respect.
Secondly, I’ll address the character development. I think for what this book was, the depth of the characters is appropriate. This is a short, easy read. Moreover, the book is centered around Toño’s experience. The other characters come and go, and I think lengthy details about them would just be filler and could take away from the story. Toño’s character, in my opinion, is age-appropriate and developed in a way that makes sense in this book. One reader said they expected a more detailed reason as to why Toño wants to come to the US, instead of his response- “I’m tired of being poor”. He’s an 18 or 19 year-old boy at the time. That IS why he wants to come to the US. It’s uncomplicated and makes sense for a boy of his age, at the time. There isn’t guerrilla warfare in his area yet (but there will soon be), he didn’t suffer a horrible childhood, he wasn’t from a barrio, his family is fortunate enough to own a farm, etc. His reason doesn’t have to be super complicated to be valid. Again, he shouldn’t have to earn his desire to come to the US. He is shallow, he hasn’t matured yet, and he’s oblivious to the realities of the adult world, both in his home country and the US. That’s the point of his character. He is coming of age and learning those realities little by little.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book. I would recommend it.
First, the title was what drew me to the book. Some people said they were offended by the author not making the story “powerful” enough to reclaim the word. I disagree there. I think the point of a targeted group or person reclaiming a derogatory term, in this case a racial slur, is making the word their own and redefining what it means in order to take away it’s power of discrimination. Why does Toño have to have a “powerful” story? Why does his experience crossing the border have to be a hard, dangerous, life-or-death obstacle course? I don’t think the character should have to earn validity by measure of difficulty in crossing the border. Sure, that isn’t a lot of people’s experience (unfortunately) but this book takes place over 40 years ago. Perhaps his experience was relative for this point in history, or perhaps the point is to show that his experience was not what people “expect” an immigrant’s experience to be. That being said, I don’t mind the title. I don’t think Toño should have had to earn his reclaim of the word or prove his brownness to gain the readers’ respect.
Secondly, I’ll address the character development. I think for what this book was, the depth of the characters is appropriate. This is a short, easy read. Moreover, the book is centered around Toño’s experience. The other characters come and go, and I think lengthy details about them would just be filler and could take away from the story. Toño’s character, in my opinion, is age-appropriate and developed in a way that makes sense in this book. One reader said they expected a more detailed reason as to why Toño wants to come to the US, instead of his response- “I’m tired of being poor”. He’s an 18 or 19 year-old boy at the time. That IS why he wants to come to the US. It’s uncomplicated and makes sense for a boy of his age, at the time. There isn’t guerrilla warfare in his area yet (but there will soon be), he didn’t suffer a horrible childhood, he wasn’t from a barrio, his family is fortunate enough to own a farm, etc. His reason doesn’t have to be super complicated to be valid. Again, he shouldn’t have to earn his desire to come to the US. He is shallow, he hasn’t matured yet, and he’s oblivious to the realities of the adult world, both in his home country and the US. That’s the point of his character. He is coming of age and learning those realities little by little.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book. I would recommend it.
January 19, 2021
This is a tough one to review. First, the title makes me super uncomfortable. I grew up in a U.S. border state and "w******" was an awful slur. It was never a term that had in-group usage in my area and basically, them's fightin' words. I understand the author is Latino himself and there's something to be said for (and a history of) reclaiming words. Still, the title makes me deeply uncomfortable as a Hispanic person myself.
Second, and I hate to say this, but this is essentially a less well-written version of One Hundred Years of Solitude. A story about a Latino family? A complex family/relationship tree? Random magical realism? Check, check, check. To be fair, the end gives this novel a bit more of an emotional impact that helps balance it out but...I don't want to say read One Hundred Years of Solitude instead -- I want to support debut authors, particularly authors with diverse voices -- but...look. Overall, this is a great effort and a solid story. But it feels like an early draft you'd workshop in a Master's program, not a novel that was ready for publication. And I feel like a jerk saying that.
I originally read this for a book club before the coronavirus hit so I wasn't able to discuss it with folks. That might have changed my opinion, as many good discussions do. If you're looking to read some diverse authors and One Hundred Years of Solitude is too much of a doorstopper for you, this is a great option. If you want to support emerging authors, this is a great option. If you want to develop some empathy for the struggle immigrants face, this is a damn good option. I hope to see more from this author in the future, because I think he's got a knack for storytelling and I'd love to see what else is taking shape in his head. Just, maybe do a little more workshopping and editing first.
Second, and I hate to say this, but this is essentially a less well-written version of One Hundred Years of Solitude. A story about a Latino family? A complex family/relationship tree? Random magical realism? Check, check, check. To be fair, the end gives this novel a bit more of an emotional impact that helps balance it out but...I don't want to say read One Hundred Years of Solitude instead -- I want to support debut authors, particularly authors with diverse voices -- but...look. Overall, this is a great effort and a solid story. But it feels like an early draft you'd workshop in a Master's program, not a novel that was ready for publication. And I feel like a jerk saying that.
I originally read this for a book club before the coronavirus hit so I wasn't able to discuss it with folks. That might have changed my opinion, as many good discussions do. If you're looking to read some diverse authors and One Hundred Years of Solitude is too much of a doorstopper for you, this is a great option. If you want to support emerging authors, this is a great option. If you want to develop some empathy for the struggle immigrants face, this is a damn good option. I hope to see more from this author in the future, because I think he's got a knack for storytelling and I'd love to see what else is taking shape in his head. Just, maybe do a little more workshopping and editing first.
November 16, 2020
This is a complicated review for us to write. We liked the idea of this book: family dynamics, cross-cultural relationships, love stories, magical surrealism, but the majority of our members felt that the author represented women in a negative way. Additionally, most disliked the title from the onset. My understanding is that the author meant to reclaim the slur, "wetback" but if it's not clear in the story how this done, the verbal explanation falls short.
The author graciously joined our discussion in September and while we liked him and his energy, most of the members in the post-discussion felt that he didn't really address the title which is very disconnected from the story itself or resolve any of their concerns regarding the misogyny in the book.
Overall, we enjoyed the author and the concept behind it but the overwhelming vote at the end is that this was not a favorite.
2/5 - the extra star is for the author's willingness to join our discussion.
The author graciously joined our discussion in September and while we liked him and his energy, most of the members in the post-discussion felt that he didn't really address the title which is very disconnected from the story itself or resolve any of their concerns regarding the misogyny in the book.
Overall, we enjoyed the author and the concept behind it but the overwhelming vote at the end is that this was not a favorite.
2/5 - the extra star is for the author's willingness to join our discussion.
January 19, 2023
Great reading!
I like this book for the most part, and the magical realism. I love Toño's journey, his story is applicable to all of us trying to fit in society no matter our background.
This book touches how people is seen and judged depends on its immigrant status even by their pairs.
I appreciated the short chapters and easy reading and, love the fact that the perspective of this book is from Center America.
I gave 3 starts even I like the book because I found a lack of depth on the characters and couldn't connect the tittle of this book with the story he tells, why? Because Toño had a really easy time crossing the border.
Anyway, is a good reading
I like this book for the most part, and the magical realism. I love Toño's journey, his story is applicable to all of us trying to fit in society no matter our background.
This book touches how people is seen and judged depends on its immigrant status even by their pairs.
I appreciated the short chapters and easy reading and, love the fact that the perspective of this book is from Center America.
I gave 3 starts even I like the book because I found a lack of depth on the characters and couldn't connect the tittle of this book with the story he tells, why? Because Toño had a really easy time crossing the border.
Anyway, is a good reading
April 11, 2023
A fast read, overall not a bad book to pass the time.
January 16, 2026
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK
I’m Salvadorean by blood, yet I’ve never set foot in the country, which upsets me because I want to learn more about its culture. As I was scavenging for books to read, I found this one, The Education of a Wetback by Marcos Antonio Hernandez, where the main character is also Salvadorean. I rarely find any media about El Salvador, so I was ecstatic when I found this book. I picked up the book without a second thought and started reading.
SUMMARY
The story doesn’t state it at all until it’s implied at the end, but this story is actually based on the father of Hernandez’s story. The story follows Juan Antonio, also known as Toño, who has been working on his family’s farm in San Ramon, El Salvador since he was born. When he comes of age, he chooses to travel to the United States to save up as much money as he can, and then come back to El Salvador to make his own farm and start his own family. To make it to New York, he has to cross the border illegally with two thousand colones in his pocket, and later becomes roommates with Manuel. At a house party nearby, he finds Paula, a woman who is marrying someone to get her green card. Even so, Toño decides to date Paula. They live somewhat comfortably together until they have a huge argument and fall out from Paula’s marriage. After some time, Toño reunites with his friend Benito who is getting married and decides to move to Maryland with him as he heard he could earn more money there. Toño is forced to use some of the money from his gig at a jewelry store to move. Giving an ultimatum to Paula, he leaves alone. Toño finds a job working at a hotel after moving in with Benito and Isabelle, who is upset with Toño freeloading. Later on, one of Toño’s brothers, Angel, moves in with Toño, wanting a new life in America. Angel finds a job at McDonalds, but Isabelle kicks him out, forcing Angel and Toño to find somewhere else to live. After Angel complains about his boss Lori, Toño goes to meet her, and they actually get together after going on a couple dates. When it comes time for Toño to return to El Salvador, he gets into a big fight with Lori about their conflicting futures so they break up, leaving both heartbroken.
However, Toño is forced to move back to America because El Salvador is full of rampage from the Civil War that has started. Toño has been warned countless times from his family, especially from his father, yet he has never taken it seriously. It is only when Toño loses all of his savings and his family is put into debt from a corrupt officer that he realizes how serious it is. Toño, finally understanding his flaws, successfully goes back to America to reclaim his new life and his marriage with Lori.
WHAT WORKS
It takes a long time – aka corruption and being put into debt – for Toño to realize that his choices are not the only ones that matter and he can’t force the world to bend to his will, no matter how hard he tries. It’s one of the many things that makes the protagonist such a complex character. We always know what he wants and why he wants it. Toño had many more aspects about him like his obstinateness or his loyalty to his country. Nonetheless, the rest of the characters are another story I’ll get to later. Sometimes it's hard to agree with Toño’s decisions, so it's incredibly relieving when the protagonist figures out his flaws. It’s one of the very few things I like about the ending. This book has almost 50 chapters due to chapters usually being around 5 pages, with more important chapters being longer. This allows it to smoothly flow from plot point to plot point. It's an easy book to put down for a moment and even easier to pick back up. Of course, for flow to work, a book needs to have a good plot, which I believe it does great at. Touching upon various serious discussions, Hernandez does great at explaining all of the struggles that immigrants go through. He brings light to how many Americans disrespect Hispanics every time someone looks down on him weirdly or gives him different accommodations even though immigration can be the only choice for them due to the situation happening back in their home country. It’s also a small thing, but I really appreciated the character list the author gives at the beginning. I struggle to keep up with which side character is who sometimes, so it was nice to be able to go back to figure it out.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK
Immediately, one of the many things I didn’t like about this book was that its descriptions and diction were incredibly basic. A mood or tone for the book isn’t fully set. It clashes with the compelling plot, making it a battle to stay engaged with the book. Falling flat, each sentence doesn’t have many details, only describing what one character did and then what the other character did and then what the first character did in response and etc., when it should have had much more substance due to the struggles that book talks about. The way that the book comes close to a decent description is through its magical aspects that were included in the book, which first shocked me when it appeared as it wasn’t mentioned anywhere in its descriptions or summaries. You also don’t fully get used to the magical realism because it has no significance to the plot, it’s spread throughout the book with meaning I couldn’t find. Another aspect I didn’t like was that the ending especially felt rushed. Being only two chapters long, the last part of the book doesn’t leave time for any issues to sink in. After Toño has finally come to terms that El Salvador isn’t the place he knew anymore and the grave mistakes that he has made, he gets everything he wants without any difficulty. Toño gets his job back with no consequences. Lori forgives Toño after one conversation with him, even though his leaving left her deeply unsatisfied and heartbroken. Had the author spent more time leading up to and describing these events, this might have been able to work, but it just feels unrealistic even though this book is based on a true story. Speaking of the book being based on a true story, most of the characters don’t have extremely developed personalities. It makes sense as some people don’t actively think about how everyone is as complex as they are, yet it still rubs off the wrong way. Especially when the women are treated as tools.
When I picked up this book, I was hoping I could somewhat connect with my culture, but I just didn’t feel that at all.
I’m Salvadorean by blood, yet I’ve never set foot in the country, which upsets me because I want to learn more about its culture. As I was scavenging for books to read, I found this one, The Education of a Wetback by Marcos Antonio Hernandez, where the main character is also Salvadorean. I rarely find any media about El Salvador, so I was ecstatic when I found this book. I picked up the book without a second thought and started reading.
SUMMARY
The story doesn’t state it at all until it’s implied at the end, but this story is actually based on the father of Hernandez’s story. The story follows Juan Antonio, also known as Toño, who has been working on his family’s farm in San Ramon, El Salvador since he was born. When he comes of age, he chooses to travel to the United States to save up as much money as he can, and then come back to El Salvador to make his own farm and start his own family. To make it to New York, he has to cross the border illegally with two thousand colones in his pocket, and later becomes roommates with Manuel. At a house party nearby, he finds Paula, a woman who is marrying someone to get her green card. Even so, Toño decides to date Paula. They live somewhat comfortably together until they have a huge argument and fall out from Paula’s marriage. After some time, Toño reunites with his friend Benito who is getting married and decides to move to Maryland with him as he heard he could earn more money there. Toño is forced to use some of the money from his gig at a jewelry store to move. Giving an ultimatum to Paula, he leaves alone. Toño finds a job working at a hotel after moving in with Benito and Isabelle, who is upset with Toño freeloading. Later on, one of Toño’s brothers, Angel, moves in with Toño, wanting a new life in America. Angel finds a job at McDonalds, but Isabelle kicks him out, forcing Angel and Toño to find somewhere else to live. After Angel complains about his boss Lori, Toño goes to meet her, and they actually get together after going on a couple dates. When it comes time for Toño to return to El Salvador, he gets into a big fight with Lori about their conflicting futures so they break up, leaving both heartbroken.
However, Toño is forced to move back to America because El Salvador is full of rampage from the Civil War that has started. Toño has been warned countless times from his family, especially from his father, yet he has never taken it seriously. It is only when Toño loses all of his savings and his family is put into debt from a corrupt officer that he realizes how serious it is. Toño, finally understanding his flaws, successfully goes back to America to reclaim his new life and his marriage with Lori.
WHAT WORKS
It takes a long time – aka corruption and being put into debt – for Toño to realize that his choices are not the only ones that matter and he can’t force the world to bend to his will, no matter how hard he tries. It’s one of the many things that makes the protagonist such a complex character. We always know what he wants and why he wants it. Toño had many more aspects about him like his obstinateness or his loyalty to his country. Nonetheless, the rest of the characters are another story I’ll get to later. Sometimes it's hard to agree with Toño’s decisions, so it's incredibly relieving when the protagonist figures out his flaws. It’s one of the very few things I like about the ending. This book has almost 50 chapters due to chapters usually being around 5 pages, with more important chapters being longer. This allows it to smoothly flow from plot point to plot point. It's an easy book to put down for a moment and even easier to pick back up. Of course, for flow to work, a book needs to have a good plot, which I believe it does great at. Touching upon various serious discussions, Hernandez does great at explaining all of the struggles that immigrants go through. He brings light to how many Americans disrespect Hispanics every time someone looks down on him weirdly or gives him different accommodations even though immigration can be the only choice for them due to the situation happening back in their home country. It’s also a small thing, but I really appreciated the character list the author gives at the beginning. I struggle to keep up with which side character is who sometimes, so it was nice to be able to go back to figure it out.
WHAT DOESN’T WORK
Immediately, one of the many things I didn’t like about this book was that its descriptions and diction were incredibly basic. A mood or tone for the book isn’t fully set. It clashes with the compelling plot, making it a battle to stay engaged with the book. Falling flat, each sentence doesn’t have many details, only describing what one character did and then what the other character did and then what the first character did in response and etc., when it should have had much more substance due to the struggles that book talks about. The way that the book comes close to a decent description is through its magical aspects that were included in the book, which first shocked me when it appeared as it wasn’t mentioned anywhere in its descriptions or summaries. You also don’t fully get used to the magical realism because it has no significance to the plot, it’s spread throughout the book with meaning I couldn’t find. Another aspect I didn’t like was that the ending especially felt rushed. Being only two chapters long, the last part of the book doesn’t leave time for any issues to sink in. After Toño has finally come to terms that El Salvador isn’t the place he knew anymore and the grave mistakes that he has made, he gets everything he wants without any difficulty. Toño gets his job back with no consequences. Lori forgives Toño after one conversation with him, even though his leaving left her deeply unsatisfied and heartbroken. Had the author spent more time leading up to and describing these events, this might have been able to work, but it just feels unrealistic even though this book is based on a true story. Speaking of the book being based on a true story, most of the characters don’t have extremely developed personalities. It makes sense as some people don’t actively think about how everyone is as complex as they are, yet it still rubs off the wrong way. Especially when the women are treated as tools.
When I picked up this book, I was hoping I could somewhat connect with my culture, but I just didn’t feel that at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2022
I just finished this book as the beginning of starting to read again after years of not - as well as a beginner step into reading specifically Hispanic/Latino books to learn more about the heritage I never got to experience.
I can't speak to the accuracy of the experiences I did enjoy the book overall!
At first I struggled to sit in the mind of Toño and thought that he and I would definitely butt heads irl but I feel some of the clunkiness of his world view and communication style may be a good way to put me in the mindset of someone raised in a different time as well as the struggles of coping in a new world you can't understand.
I enjoyed the writing style and I liked the random magical moments and descriptors of people he encountered. It was my first experience with writing like that!
Overall I enjoyed my time reading the book, sometimes it was hard to keep my attention but I'm happy I took the time to read it all the way through. It was an interesting way to see things through someone else's perspective.
I can't speak to the accuracy of the experiences I did enjoy the book overall!
At first I struggled to sit in the mind of Toño and thought that he and I would definitely butt heads irl but I feel some of the clunkiness of his world view and communication style may be a good way to put me in the mindset of someone raised in a different time as well as the struggles of coping in a new world you can't understand.
I enjoyed the writing style and I liked the random magical moments and descriptors of people he encountered. It was my first experience with writing like that!
Overall I enjoyed my time reading the book, sometimes it was hard to keep my attention but I'm happy I took the time to read it all the way through. It was an interesting way to see things through someone else's perspective.
January 11, 2023
The year is 1979. The word "wetback" was used. Get over it.
The subject is Tono and the story starts with his high school graduation in San Remo, a small town in El Salvador. What will he do now that his schooling is at an end. He can't afford college but he has enough money saved to get him across the border to America. Illegally. He lives in LA a while but decides he would make more money in New York and then Washington DC. He manages to send about $10,000 home to his father and he saves another $10,000 that he is going to use to buy a farm in El Salvador.
This book is about his life in America and the decisions he makes along the way. It's pretty mundane but does give us some insights into his thoughts. It is a pleasant read but not a big deal.
The subject is Tono and the story starts with his high school graduation in San Remo, a small town in El Salvador. What will he do now that his schooling is at an end. He can't afford college but he has enough money saved to get him across the border to America. Illegally. He lives in LA a while but decides he would make more money in New York and then Washington DC. He manages to send about $10,000 home to his father and he saves another $10,000 that he is going to use to buy a farm in El Salvador.
This book is about his life in America and the decisions he makes along the way. It's pretty mundane but does give us some insights into his thoughts. It is a pleasant read but not a big deal.
September 13, 2020
I'm lucky that one of my book clubs got a chance to host the author for a post-read discussion. I found his insight very helpful and being able to understand the perspective from which he wrote was illuminating.
I enjoyed the book and felt that the story was paced in a way that I was interested in finding out what came next in the story. The characters were sufficiently interesting, and overall I liked the book. There were even some elements of magical realism that I usually find offputting, but I think in the subtle context in which the author uses these, I actually really enjoyed them.
That said, there were certain aspects I was hoping to see more of. For one, I think the author could have delved a little deeper into character motivations. I think he definitely touched upon a major motivating factor for the main character, Toño, when he wrote, "I just hate being poor." The author shared the significance of this moment during his actual interview with his father, whom the story is loosely based upon, but he fails to capture that significance in the actual book. While we understand that this is absolutely the driving force behind Toño's commitment to working hard and getting back to El Salvador, it lacked a bit of background as to why this revelation is so deep and resonant to those of us who are also immigrants and have our own immigrant stories. I was almost waiting to see when this would be addressed.
There were also a few elements that the author briefly touched upon, but didn't go into depth about, and I think it's a real detriment to the story. For example, towards the end of the main character's relationship with the married Paola - a woman who happens to have a set of wings - it is revealed that her husband broke her other wing, and Toño just flippantly glosses over this in his anger and hurt about her choosing to stay in that relationship instead of leaving with Toño. There was so much he could have done with that moment to stress not only the impact of domestic violence and abuse - specifically towards Latin women - but also what was really going on under the surface for Paola as a character. There wasn't even a nod to trying to address why someone would remain in that type of situation despite the hurt and danger.
I think a lot of the characters lack the depth that I was hoping to see. Not enough to deter me from the book, but enough that I was left wanting. I wish the author had also explored a little bit more of the complicated nature of Toño's relationship with his father because while there was absolutely love and care there, there were also hints of harsh discipline (dare I say, abuse?) that are mentioned but not really explored.
I think it's a great first draft of a novel, and I would have liked to have seen the author explore more of the emotionally salient aspects of the story of his father's coming to America, as well as incorporating the Salvadorian Civil War more than he did, or even exploring his dad's journey with relation to his own discovery of his latinx identity.
For these reasons, I gave it 3/5 stars.
I enjoyed the book and felt that the story was paced in a way that I was interested in finding out what came next in the story. The characters were sufficiently interesting, and overall I liked the book. There were even some elements of magical realism that I usually find offputting, but I think in the subtle context in which the author uses these, I actually really enjoyed them.
That said, there were certain aspects I was hoping to see more of. For one, I think the author could have delved a little deeper into character motivations. I think he definitely touched upon a major motivating factor for the main character, Toño, when he wrote, "I just hate being poor." The author shared the significance of this moment during his actual interview with his father, whom the story is loosely based upon, but he fails to capture that significance in the actual book. While we understand that this is absolutely the driving force behind Toño's commitment to working hard and getting back to El Salvador, it lacked a bit of background as to why this revelation is so deep and resonant to those of us who are also immigrants and have our own immigrant stories. I was almost waiting to see when this would be addressed.
There were also a few elements that the author briefly touched upon, but didn't go into depth about, and I think it's a real detriment to the story. For example, towards the end of the main character's relationship with the married Paola - a woman who happens to have a set of wings - it is revealed that her husband broke her other wing, and Toño just flippantly glosses over this in his anger and hurt about her choosing to stay in that relationship instead of leaving with Toño. There was so much he could have done with that moment to stress not only the impact of domestic violence and abuse - specifically towards Latin women - but also what was really going on under the surface for Paola as a character. There wasn't even a nod to trying to address why someone would remain in that type of situation despite the hurt and danger.
I think a lot of the characters lack the depth that I was hoping to see. Not enough to deter me from the book, but enough that I was left wanting. I wish the author had also explored a little bit more of the complicated nature of Toño's relationship with his father because while there was absolutely love and care there, there were also hints of harsh discipline (dare I say, abuse?) that are mentioned but not really explored.
I think it's a great first draft of a novel, and I would have liked to have seen the author explore more of the emotionally salient aspects of the story of his father's coming to America, as well as incorporating the Salvadorian Civil War more than he did, or even exploring his dad's journey with relation to his own discovery of his latinx identity.
For these reasons, I gave it 3/5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2021
I tried really hard to like this book. At first the surrealism caught me off guard, and I found it to be a bit odd. The placement of the surrealism was what I had a hard time with. At times it was clever and silly, but at first I was really confused on what was going on.
The thing that I had the hardest time was with Toño's views about women. He tried his best and I give him credit, but there were times where I felt that he was being an ass. For example, when he is referring to Jorge looking at his brother as if he were feminine? Like what does that even mean? The whole Paula story was sad. He treated her like crap and was mad that she wouldn't leave her husband. Tono was also a bit rude to Benito's wife. I felt that the female characters were set up to look bad, with the exception of Toño's mom. Even Lori.
I also feel that this account was really unrealistic. Tono got really lucky. He had such an easy time crossing the border and also just his life in general. He didn't have a struggle and I think in many ways this lead him to be a bit pompous. For example, when he goes back to El Salvador he family and neighbors warn him about the complexities of life now in their town. Tono, rather than listening to them, completely disregards them and just does his own thing. It was really annoying.
I was also bothered that we would be lead to believe that some conflict was brewing and then it would just fall flat. Like for example when the corrupt police officers are asking for a bribe. Everything went down smoothly. They just got paid off and everything was alright. When in reality things would not have gone so smoothly. Again the lack of realism was not great.
The thing that I had the hardest time was with Toño's views about women. He tried his best and I give him credit, but there were times where I felt that he was being an ass. For example, when he is referring to Jorge looking at his brother as if he were feminine? Like what does that even mean? The whole Paula story was sad. He treated her like crap and was mad that she wouldn't leave her husband. Tono was also a bit rude to Benito's wife. I felt that the female characters were set up to look bad, with the exception of Toño's mom. Even Lori.
I also feel that this account was really unrealistic. Tono got really lucky. He had such an easy time crossing the border and also just his life in general. He didn't have a struggle and I think in many ways this lead him to be a bit pompous. For example, when he goes back to El Salvador he family and neighbors warn him about the complexities of life now in their town. Tono, rather than listening to them, completely disregards them and just does his own thing. It was really annoying.
I was also bothered that we would be lead to believe that some conflict was brewing and then it would just fall flat. Like for example when the corrupt police officers are asking for a bribe. Everything went down smoothly. They just got paid off and everything was alright. When in reality things would not have gone so smoothly. Again the lack of realism was not great.
February 28, 2024
I didn't mind this read, but I picked up this book because I was intrigued by the title. I read a lot of reviews where people were really upset by the title. I personally felt more intrigued to pick it up because of the title. Words such as wetback should make us feel uncomfortable but discussions and awareness on words like such should happen in order to make those outside the community aware of how it affects us within the community. With all that said, the story didn't relate to the title nor did it provide any substance to the word wetback, so I don't feel it was appropriate for this story line. The story itself was extremely laid back and a quick easy read. I finished this book in a week and a half. I will say, what bothered me about the style of writing is I found myself reading "says" a lot, ex: "x y and z" says Tono, and this was for every characters dialogue, but personal preference.
January 11, 2025
As a daughter of immigrants, I enjoyed this book and thought a lot of what my parents went through when they first arrived here. I was able to connect with it and the character. Of course there’s sexism because the book is about a Latino character - Latino households (especially during the 1980s-1990s) consisted of gender roles. It was real and truthful. There were parts that I hated the main character - but I like that because no one is perfect. There were very small instances of magical realism. Most of the times it felt random because it came out of nowhere and there were only about 4-5 examples of magic realism. Was not needed. If it was left out, it wouldn’t have changed the story - didn’t do much for the storyline. Also the title! Should have been named something else. The main character didnt learn/educate himself - I guess he learned how to live in the US.. idk he didn’t really evolve. I enjoyed the book. Very easy read.
September 9, 2022
While the storytelling was smooth and easy to follow the book fell into harmful stereotypes of immigrants and their interactions with the United States. Instead of critiquing them, the book carried on. Personally, I didn't like the addition of those elements and ultimately it soured the book for me. I would also like to point out I never finished the book yet skimmed the last perhaps 30 to 20 percent of the book.
January 20, 2023
A good memoir
I thought that this memoir was good, short, and simple, but also felt like something was missing (?). The epilogue caught me off guard, as it was not what I expected but a nice story. Marcos does a good job at describing his stubborn dad, and how El Salvador was, and how America was for him. But there still is something missing (to me).
I thought that this memoir was good, short, and simple, but also felt like something was missing (?). The epilogue caught me off guard, as it was not what I expected but a nice story. Marcos does a good job at describing his stubborn dad, and how El Salvador was, and how America was for him. But there still is something missing (to me).
August 15, 2023
This was an easy read with a quick flow. I happened to be reading this while traveling from Idaho to New Mexico and back. This book helped me simply and appreciate the diversity of cultures, arts, communities, and people I interacted with along the way. It helped me remember beauty I had missed along my travels around the states and out of the country in my youth.
February 26, 2020
Great coming of age story. Thoroughly enjoyed the way the author told the story of Toño and all the challenges he encountered. Highly recommend.
August 25, 2020
Other similar stories are better written. Didn't like the random supernatural interjections.
September 14, 2020
I don’t like the title... and other things... but especially the title. If the author is comfortable with this word - then that’s on him - but now he’s making me say (think) it :/
April 12, 2021
Great Book especially for LatinX gente!
I read this book in three days. As a daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was able to relate to the characters.
I read this book in three days. As a daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was able to relate to the characters.
November 21, 2021
All the solid nonfiction characteristics of a memoir, with touches of magical realism throughout. I genuinely enjoyed this tale of an El Salvadoran immigrant making his way in the world.
January 8, 2022
Immigration - El Salvador to the US, trying to decide in which country to begin a life.
May 12, 2022
3.5 stars
October 11, 2023
Review
I like the premise of the book. It was an easy read. I would like a bit more detail about the characters.
I like the premise of the book. It was an easy read. I would like a bit more detail about the characters.
October 24, 2023
I wanted more out of the book given the title. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t captivating either.
And I think I read the wings sentence 200x before realizing the magical aspect of the book.
And I think I read the wings sentence 200x before realizing the magical aspect of the book.
December 2, 2023
This was such a great book! Definitely one of my favorites and I really loved hearing about Toño’s immigrant story and coming to America
December 1, 2024
Inspiring
Such an easy read, I love Toño and his journey! I was routing for him all the way. Totally recommend this book.
Such an easy read, I love Toño and his journey! I was routing for him all the way. Totally recommend this book.
May 7, 2021
Meh. The writing isn't compelling and the over-use of "vanilla" symbolism got old quick. I really wanted to like this book, but the author doesn't develop any real sense of conflict and I never felt invested in the protagonist's situation, especially how easily he's able to move around between countries, come up with large sums of money, etc.
April 12, 2022
I was expecting more from this book based on the title; the author doesn't ever really make connections to the wording of the title, which was confusing. It was very one-dimensional, with no depth or detail in the main characters' experiences. It seemed more focused on cultural shocks he experienced once moving here, but even then it was very bare minimum.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews