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Solito
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Memoir & Autobiography (2022)Trip. My parents started using that word about a year ago—“one day, you’ll
take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure.”
Javier Zamora’s adventure is a 3,000-mile journey from his small town in
El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border.
He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a
mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling
alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety,
Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.
At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms,
snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He
cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns,
arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two
weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants
who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.
A memoir as gripping as it is moving, Solito provides an immediate and
intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey,
but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most
unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story
of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.
take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure.”
Javier Zamora’s adventure is a 3,000-mile journey from his small town in
El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border.
He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a
mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling
alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety,
Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.
At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms,
snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He
cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns,
arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two
weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants
who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.
A memoir as gripping as it is moving, Solito provides an immediate and
intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey,
but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most
unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it’s also the story
of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 6, 2022
8589 people are currently reading
149369 people want to read
About the author
Javier Zamora
9 books1,422 followersJavier Zamora was born in El Salvador in 1990. His father fled the country when he was one, and his mother when he was about to turn five. Both parents' migrations were caused by the U.S.-funded Salvadoran Civil War. When he was nine Javier migrated through Guatemala, Mexico, and the Sonoran Desert. His debut poetry collection, Unaccompanied, explores the impact of the war and immigration on his family. Zamora has been a Stegner Fellow at Stanford and a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard and holds fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,693 reviews
September 4, 2022
SOLITO was such an emotional read for me. Javier Zamora was nine when he made the long journey to join his parents in America, unaccompanied by anyone he knew. I was eleven when I immigrated to the US, under very different circumstances--with my parents and a visa, in a plane, so much easier that I feel guilty even making the comparison--and yet, so many of his fears and worries resonated with me and made me tear up. As a mom, I couldn't imagine my much older boys doing what Javier did, and it really tore me up reading about the more harrowing, downright painful parts of his migration (and there were many). There were times when I got angry and frustrated at the adults who put this little boy through this unbelievable experience. What made this memoir so special is not just what happened or even the beautiful language this acclaimed poet uses to tell us the story, but the amazing way he faced the hardships--with humor, childlike innocence, faith, courage, gratitude, tenacity, and above all, hope. Hope in the goodness of other people, hope in himself to make it through, and hope that he will reach his parents. This is a beautiful, special book. I can't imagine anyone not loving it.
April 1, 2025
So you should read this if you want to know a real migrant story. This isn't the flashy running away from criminals that we were served up in American Dirt. This is a true account of one boy's harrowing trek from El Salvador to the USA.
I think what you have to keep reminding yourself is that Javier Zamora was nine years old at the time of his crossing. When he is afraid of getting undressed or peeing in public you have to keep remembering that this is a small boy, alone, amongst a lot of frightened adults without any parent to guide him. I don't know what you were like as a nine year old but I wasn't allowed anywhere but nearby friends homes at that age. I certainly can't imagine my parents contemplating a journey of over 2000 miles by boat, truck, on foot and ostensibly alone at that age.
There are times when the tale is repetitive but crossing a desert by foot, I imagine, is extremely repetitive. However, Javier Zamora's memoir is shocking to say the least. Unscrupulous coyotes, lack of food/water/shade/sleep all play their part.
It certainly makes you realize how afraid and desperate people have to be to undertake this journey.
Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to read a real migrant story. And just keep telling yourself that this is the memoir of a boy of only 9.
I think what you have to keep reminding yourself is that Javier Zamora was nine years old at the time of his crossing. When he is afraid of getting undressed or peeing in public you have to keep remembering that this is a small boy, alone, amongst a lot of frightened adults without any parent to guide him. I don't know what you were like as a nine year old but I wasn't allowed anywhere but nearby friends homes at that age. I certainly can't imagine my parents contemplating a journey of over 2000 miles by boat, truck, on foot and ostensibly alone at that age.
There are times when the tale is repetitive but crossing a desert by foot, I imagine, is extremely repetitive. However, Javier Zamora's memoir is shocking to say the least. Unscrupulous coyotes, lack of food/water/shade/sleep all play their part.
It certainly makes you realize how afraid and desperate people have to be to undertake this journey.
Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to read a real migrant story. And just keep telling yourself that this is the memoir of a boy of only 9.
September 24, 2022
I feel terrible giving this three stars — the details of the story are dramatic and emotionally gripping, and he writes (and reads) very poetically. Solito’s rhythm is that of a child, and you very much feel how long they are walking, how tired they are, how bored.
But overall, this didn’t do much for me. I found it too long and repetitive, and because it is told through the eyes of a 9 year old, there’s no reflection on other people who make the trip with them or any context/commentary on immigration trends overall, which I would’ve liked.
But overall, this didn’t do much for me. I found it too long and repetitive, and because it is told through the eyes of a 9 year old, there’s no reflection on other people who make the trip with them or any context/commentary on immigration trends overall, which I would’ve liked.
October 29, 2022
Thank you, @randomhouse, for the gifted book.
About the book: “A young poet tells the unforgettable story of his harrowing migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this moving, page-turning memoir hailed as the mythic journey of our era (Sandra Cisneros)”
Traveling more than three thousand miles from a tiny town in El Salvador to the United States, Javier Zamora is just nine years old when his journey to be reunited with his parents begins. It is supposed to take two weeks, but takes much longer. A perilous journey for any child, especially one without his parents by his side, though he forms strong bonds with his fellow travelers.
I’m grateful this book was chosen as a @readwithjenna selection because this is a book that needs to be on the radar of all Americans. Javier shares that this is not just his story; it’s a universal story for many immigrants. At nearly 400 pages, Solito is difficult to put down. You simply have to keep reading to find out what happens next for Javier and his fellow travelers. Trauma, peril, arrests juxtaposed with tremendous love and strength of the human spirit.
An absolute must-read, and I’m hoping through sharing his story that Javier has been reunited with some of the others with whom he made the trip.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
About the book: “A young poet tells the unforgettable story of his harrowing migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this moving, page-turning memoir hailed as the mythic journey of our era (Sandra Cisneros)”
Traveling more than three thousand miles from a tiny town in El Salvador to the United States, Javier Zamora is just nine years old when his journey to be reunited with his parents begins. It is supposed to take two weeks, but takes much longer. A perilous journey for any child, especially one without his parents by his side, though he forms strong bonds with his fellow travelers.
I’m grateful this book was chosen as a @readwithjenna selection because this is a book that needs to be on the radar of all Americans. Javier shares that this is not just his story; it’s a universal story for many immigrants. At nearly 400 pages, Solito is difficult to put down. You simply have to keep reading to find out what happens next for Javier and his fellow travelers. Trauma, peril, arrests juxtaposed with tremendous love and strength of the human spirit.
An absolute must-read, and I’m hoping through sharing his story that Javier has been reunited with some of the others with whom he made the trip.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
September 23, 2022
So much Spanish! I wish I spoke the language so I could've enjoyed this. I tried using a translating tool and context clues without much success and therein lies the problem - my reading 'flow' was interrupted and I got lost. Just when I'd get engaged in a scene the Spanish dialogue would cause me to disconnect. I needed more clues as to what was being said. Yes, I got the gist of it, but wow, I ending up skimming a good portion of it because I just couldn't understand what the characters were talking about a lot of the time.
I can understand the many 5 star reviews as this is a memoir about a child's harrowing journey from El Salvador to the U.S.. It tugs at the heartstrings and brings the immigrant experience front and center. Unfortunately, I found it a chore to get through and didn't feel emotionally connected. Not for me, but I'm glad to see so many others have found it an awesome book.
I can understand the many 5 star reviews as this is a memoir about a child's harrowing journey from El Salvador to the U.S.. It tugs at the heartstrings and brings the immigrant experience front and center. Unfortunately, I found it a chore to get through and didn't feel emotionally connected. Not for me, but I'm glad to see so many others have found it an awesome book.
September 17, 2022
SOLITO twisted up my heart and left it mangled. I've dreamt about its characters, about the desert, about water for the past two nights. I still get choked up when I think of the acknowledgements.
There are so many children from El Salvador in Central Virginia. Honduras, too. And yet many teachers don't even know where those places are. Have no idea what their students faced to get here. Someone might flippantly say "maybe something happened while they crossed; maybe that's why they're learning slower" and not realize what *crossing* even means - that the act in and of itself, regardless of what happens or not, is ALREADY incredibly traumatic.
This memoir is a must-read for anyone who works in the public schools. You want to be a more inclusive & equitable teacher this Latinx Heritage Month? THIS is the book you should be reading.
There are so many children from El Salvador in Central Virginia. Honduras, too. And yet many teachers don't even know where those places are. Have no idea what their students faced to get here. Someone might flippantly say "maybe something happened while they crossed; maybe that's why they're learning slower" and not realize what *crossing* even means - that the act in and of itself, regardless of what happens or not, is ALREADY incredibly traumatic.
This memoir is a must-read for anyone who works in the public schools. You want to be a more inclusive & equitable teacher this Latinx Heritage Month? THIS is the book you should be reading.
November 2, 2022
Such an important memoir about Javier Zamora’s migration story from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine. Reading this account makes you more empathic and also sad and angry about the perils children and people in general have to go through to make it to safety. Because Solito is pretty much entirely from the perspective of Zamora at age nine, the memoir includes a lot of dialogue between adults and not much reflection from Zamora in the present day. However, in reading the couple of pages from Zamora in 2021, I’m glad to hear he’s been able to process his experiences in therapy and that he’s put forth his story for immigrants who’ve crossed in the past, present, and future.
November 9, 2022
There are certain experiences that are just meant to be shared. Solito, Javier Zamora’s harrowing childhood journey from his childhood home in El Salvador to the United States was one of them. I listened to the audiobook that was brilliantly and poetically read by the author himself. He recounted his journey through the eyes and heart of the scared, skeptical yet hopeful and trusting nine year old boy that he was. His beloved and much respected grandfather traveled with Javier as long as permitted and then left his young and terrified grandson in the hands of complete strangers. His grandfather had hired and paid a “coyote” to get Javier to safety and into the arms of his waiting parents who resided in California. Javier had last seen his mother when he was turning five. He still remembered her feel and her scent. It was hard to remember his father. Thoughts of seeing them again gave him the strength to keep going when he wanted to give up and the perseverance to endure all the obstacles he faced.. His journey was treacherous at times and he often felt alone and scared. Javier was under the impression that the journey would take about two weeks. With unforeseen circumstances, it took more than two months. Surrounded by strangers, he traveled by boat across rough and dangers waters and through endless hot deserts. He traveled through Guatemala, Mexico and finally across the United States boarder. A little into his journey, Javier was befriended by a mother and her daughter and one of the men. The four of them became as close to a family as possible. Their support, kindness and caring allowed and helped Javier to complete his journey and be reunited with his mother and father at long last. Javier thought of those kind and good people as his second family.
Solito by Javier Zamora was a riveting and inspiring true story. I believe it was told and shared to bring awareness of the hardships any and all who try to migrate, no matter what circumstances led them to migrate, face. For me, it restored my faith in human nature, knowing that good people do exist. Unfortunately, there are more dangerous and bad people that prey unmercifully on these people. Solito was about family, bravery, human kindness, determination, perseverance and hope. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Solito by Javier Zamora and highly recommend it.
Solito by Javier Zamora was a riveting and inspiring true story. I believe it was told and shared to bring awareness of the hardships any and all who try to migrate, no matter what circumstances led them to migrate, face. For me, it restored my faith in human nature, knowing that good people do exist. Unfortunately, there are more dangerous and bad people that prey unmercifully on these people. Solito was about family, bravery, human kindness, determination, perseverance and hope. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Solito by Javier Zamora and highly recommend it.
May 23, 2022
Solito is the book that everyone should read in their lives.
The story of Javier, a nine years old kid that is going in a tragic and hard journey to be reunited with his parents in the United States, it’s a story that transcends and resonates with every Latin American immigrant. Javier tells his story with the innocence he had, and how he was forced to adapt and grow much more that any other kid his age during this trip. As an immigrant myself, that has done the same journey, there’s no other book, story, show or movie that can represent to detail the emotions, actions, pain and growth that Javier tells us in his more personal experience.
The prose of the book is immaculate as you are able to understand the innocence of a kid in the most difficult circumstances. The accuracy and translation of the salvadorean slang used in this book brought me to the roots of my own heritage, and also recognize the way Spanglish can be utilized in modern works.
Solito needs to be considered a modern classic, as it tells the story of the new waves of immigrants that had come to the country for a better life and how the journey shapes their life.
The story of Javier, a nine years old kid that is going in a tragic and hard journey to be reunited with his parents in the United States, it’s a story that transcends and resonates with every Latin American immigrant. Javier tells his story with the innocence he had, and how he was forced to adapt and grow much more that any other kid his age during this trip. As an immigrant myself, that has done the same journey, there’s no other book, story, show or movie that can represent to detail the emotions, actions, pain and growth that Javier tells us in his more personal experience.
The prose of the book is immaculate as you are able to understand the innocence of a kid in the most difficult circumstances. The accuracy and translation of the salvadorean slang used in this book brought me to the roots of my own heritage, and also recognize the way Spanglish can be utilized in modern works.
Solito needs to be considered a modern classic, as it tells the story of the new waves of immigrants that had come to the country for a better life and how the journey shapes their life.
November 3, 2022
I do feel like this is a masterpiece and that it was enormously generous of Javier Zamora to write and share his story. This will stay with me. I started his book of poetry today. I am still processing a lot of the memoir but something that I admired was the way he was able to consistently tell the story through a 9-year-old's eyes and in a 9-year-old's voice but somehow still with the beauty of the adult writer.
Adding on to my previous review - I see that some folks are criticizing the volume of Spanish in this book. I can only imagine this book being written exactly the way it was. Authenticity of voice is more important than accessibility. The unsettling feeling a monolingual person might feel reading this book is only a small echo of the experience that young Javier had being surrounded by so much that did not make any sense. Even the people in the book do not understand each other at times, or have their voices muted from time to time, as they experience the differences between Salvadoran and Mexican Spanish, or between Spanish and poorly spoken Spanish. It is not essential to understand every word in the book to understand what is happening, or more importantly, the emotion behind it. Anyway, many of the phrases written in Spanish appear again and again. Taking the time to learn even just a few of them would open up a lot of understanding. I understand that this reading experience might not be for everyone, but want to challenge the criticism that the book should have been "more accessible."
Adding on to my previous review - I see that some folks are criticizing the volume of Spanish in this book. I can only imagine this book being written exactly the way it was. Authenticity of voice is more important than accessibility. The unsettling feeling a monolingual person might feel reading this book is only a small echo of the experience that young Javier had being surrounded by so much that did not make any sense. Even the people in the book do not understand each other at times, or have their voices muted from time to time, as they experience the differences between Salvadoran and Mexican Spanish, or between Spanish and poorly spoken Spanish. It is not essential to understand every word in the book to understand what is happening, or more importantly, the emotion behind it. Anyway, many of the phrases written in Spanish appear again and again. Taking the time to learn even just a few of them would open up a lot of understanding. I understand that this reading experience might not be for everyone, but want to challenge the criticism that the book should have been "more accessible."
October 15, 2022
Audiobook….read by Javier Zamora
….17 hours and 8 minutes
Unbelievable!!!!
Cockroaches, spiders, mosquitoes, …..
a small room — either too hot or too cold.
1999…. Mexico….
another hotel, another abandoned house, chipped paint, and a garden out front that hasn’t been cut in years.
Two rooms with 50 people each.
Lots of waiting —
Burning heat —
Studying maps —
New plans —
Days of leaving —
Late breakfast, an early dinner and if you’re still hungry sometimes there’s a sandwich or Mexican food.
Eat - get strong- sleep
The desert is cold at night and in the morning. It’s hot in between.
Helicopters, trucks, binoculars — and the dark.
Need of water. Need of having to pee. But keep walking and walking.
Hurry!
The dirt is so dry!
Jumping in back of a truck
More and more people arrive
Smiles and hugs and words of gratefulness.
Once I knew and then I forgot.
April 5, 2021….
I don’t know how he made it to Los Angeles.
All his parents could do was hope and wait that he would make it across safely.
Having read many books about the Lost Boys of Sudan-
and other similar horrific & unbelievable- resilient (thankful for the ending) stories —
Solito reminded me of that these treacherous-near impossible-journeys….
continue to be gut-wrenching.
I can’t say I ‘felt’ every emotion-or that it’s the best written book —
but what does that even matter!
Javier Zamora had a story to tell that called to be written.
…Blessings for trauma
…Blessings to immigrants and all the struggles
…Blessings to the nine year old Javier for having the courage (and sweetness in his heart) to keep on trekking!
….17 hours and 8 minutes
Unbelievable!!!!
Cockroaches, spiders, mosquitoes, …..
a small room — either too hot or too cold.
1999…. Mexico….
another hotel, another abandoned house, chipped paint, and a garden out front that hasn’t been cut in years.
Two rooms with 50 people each.
Lots of waiting —
Burning heat —
Studying maps —
New plans —
Days of leaving —
Late breakfast, an early dinner and if you’re still hungry sometimes there’s a sandwich or Mexican food.
Eat - get strong- sleep
The desert is cold at night and in the morning. It’s hot in between.
Helicopters, trucks, binoculars — and the dark.
Need of water. Need of having to pee. But keep walking and walking.
Hurry!
The dirt is so dry!
Jumping in back of a truck
More and more people arrive
Smiles and hugs and words of gratefulness.
Once I knew and then I forgot.
April 5, 2021….
I don’t know how he made it to Los Angeles.
All his parents could do was hope and wait that he would make it across safely.
Having read many books about the Lost Boys of Sudan-
and other similar horrific & unbelievable- resilient (thankful for the ending) stories —
Solito reminded me of that these treacherous-near impossible-journeys….
continue to be gut-wrenching.
I can’t say I ‘felt’ every emotion-or that it’s the best written book —
but what does that even matter!
Javier Zamora had a story to tell that called to be written.
…Blessings for trauma
…Blessings to immigrants and all the struggles
…Blessings to the nine year old Javier for having the courage (and sweetness in his heart) to keep on trekking!
May 13, 2025
This is Javier’s 3,000-mile journey from El Salvador to the U.S. as an unaccompanied nine-year-old. It’s a trip that includes desert crossings, betrayals, and unexpected kindness from strangers who (quite literally) kept him alive. The emotional weight of that experience is real, and I don’t want to diminish that.
However, the storytelling didn’t quite work for me. Solito is written entirely from the perspective of nine-year-old Javier and I really wish we had some adult reflection woven in. Either an autobiographical novel or a memoir with dual timelines, Javier as a child and Javier as an adult looking back. We’re told in the author’s note that he went to therapy and processed this trauma, but none of that insight is shared in this story.
What was it like to live with a dad he hadn’t seen since he was two? How did this journey shape his relationship with his parents now that he is an adult? I really love an introspective memoir, and this one didn’t dig very deep.
*Just a heads up, there is a LOT of untranslated Spanish in this one, so that will slow down your reading if you need to look up translations.
However, the storytelling didn’t quite work for me. Solito is written entirely from the perspective of nine-year-old Javier and I really wish we had some adult reflection woven in. Either an autobiographical novel or a memoir with dual timelines, Javier as a child and Javier as an adult looking back. We’re told in the author’s note that he went to therapy and processed this trauma, but none of that insight is shared in this story.
What was it like to live with a dad he hadn’t seen since he was two? How did this journey shape his relationship with his parents now that he is an adult? I really love an introspective memoir, and this one didn’t dig very deep.
*Just a heads up, there is a LOT of untranslated Spanish in this one, so that will slow down your reading if you need to look up translations.
February 24, 2023
When I closed this book, tears were rolling. In my head were the faces of the 9-year old children in my life. The idea of pointing them in a roughly northern direction, and telling them to stay close to a stranger to whom they had just been introduced, and waving goodbye. . . .?!! Stunning.
Yet, this entire book is the story of just that. . .and the big-hearted boy, carting along his fear of flushing toilets, hope for the sight of his parents (and their swimming pool), a willingness to share, to obey, and to listen are just a few of the intangibles he packs into his backpack every time his group is told there has been another change of plan. More money required, less food, water and security provided. Terrifying and traumatic.
Still. . .his little boy heart and mind note the simple joys and beauties of this horrific journey. Desert dawns, delicious tastes amidst times of starving, smells reminding him of home and people who loved him, smells of awful, dark unknown corners. The touch of a companion's hand and all the bravery it gives, the comfort of a warm body to sleep against.
Everyone who thinks they know all they need to about immigration and our porous southern border should read this book, this boy's experience. Growing compassion makes better humans of us all.
If we are not refugees in the nations we call home, we are certainly descendants of refugees, however one may creatively define their origins. Our itchy feet (and greedy governments) have had us traveling and settling into the home lands of others since time began. Extending respect, grace and generosity, with at least offers of help in times of individual distress, is a nod to our own beginnings.
Yet, this entire book is the story of just that. . .and the big-hearted boy, carting along his fear of flushing toilets, hope for the sight of his parents (and their swimming pool), a willingness to share, to obey, and to listen are just a few of the intangibles he packs into his backpack every time his group is told there has been another change of plan. More money required, less food, water and security provided. Terrifying and traumatic.
Still. . .his little boy heart and mind note the simple joys and beauties of this horrific journey. Desert dawns, delicious tastes amidst times of starving, smells reminding him of home and people who loved him, smells of awful, dark unknown corners. The touch of a companion's hand and all the bravery it gives, the comfort of a warm body to sleep against.
Everyone who thinks they know all they need to about immigration and our porous southern border should read this book, this boy's experience. Growing compassion makes better humans of us all.
If we are not refugees in the nations we call home, we are certainly descendants of refugees, however one may creatively define their origins. Our itchy feet (and greedy governments) have had us traveling and settling into the home lands of others since time began. Extending respect, grace and generosity, with at least offers of help in times of individual distress, is a nod to our own beginnings.
November 10, 2022
Unpopular review alert! Feel free to ignore and perhaps trust the previous reviews/raters who currently have this book at an average of 4.52 stars, but it just did not work for me despite really looking forward to reading it. This is the memoir of a 9-year old Javier Zamora's seven-week journey migrating ("illegally") into the United States from El Salvador back in the summer of 1999.
So thus my initial issues with it as it told through the eyes of a 9-year (and kind of has a YA feel to it, tho not knocking it for that reason) and recounting the experience from over 20 years ago. I am pretty certain I would have preferred this to be an autobiographical novel or an adult memoir reflecting on this childhood journey. I just could not suspend my skepticism that all the extended dialogue and journey details could be capture so accurately 20+ years later. It's not like I don't believe the story, it's just that I couldn't believe it in the way it was told (which sounds kind of horrible of me, but hopefully you can get the point I'm getting at). Also, there is a *TON* of untranslated Spanish here. I've taken some Spanish and usually can typically get by with a sprinkling of it or at least get the context of what is going on, but I found myself lost here a lot of the time. Again, I know it's an authentic way to tell the story, but not super non-bilingual reader friendly. Finally, it could have used some editing and work on the pacing, while I know that traveling on foot/van/etc. over the course of 7 weeks is not an action-packed activity 24-7, I often found myself losing interest or attention along the way.
I feel kind of bad for such a low rating. I am sympathetic/empathic to those who make the dangerous journey with hopes of finding a new and better and safer life here in the United States (those these days, I am starting to wonder why anyone would want to come here -- but that's a testament to how bad things truly are elsewhere), but I just could not find a way to connect with this book despite all the ingredients feeling like they were there.
So thus my initial issues with it as it told through the eyes of a 9-year (and kind of has a YA feel to it, tho not knocking it for that reason) and recounting the experience from over 20 years ago. I am pretty certain I would have preferred this to be an autobiographical novel or an adult memoir reflecting on this childhood journey. I just could not suspend my skepticism that all the extended dialogue and journey details could be capture so accurately 20+ years later. It's not like I don't believe the story, it's just that I couldn't believe it in the way it was told (which sounds kind of horrible of me, but hopefully you can get the point I'm getting at). Also, there is a *TON* of untranslated Spanish here. I've taken some Spanish and usually can typically get by with a sprinkling of it or at least get the context of what is going on, but I found myself lost here a lot of the time. Again, I know it's an authentic way to tell the story, but not super non-bilingual reader friendly. Finally, it could have used some editing and work on the pacing, while I know that traveling on foot/van/etc. over the course of 7 weeks is not an action-packed activity 24-7, I often found myself losing interest or attention along the way.
I feel kind of bad for such a low rating. I am sympathetic/empathic to those who make the dangerous journey with hopes of finding a new and better and safer life here in the United States (those these days, I am starting to wonder why anyone would want to come here -- but that's a testament to how bad things truly are elsewhere), but I just could not find a way to connect with this book despite all the ingredients feeling like they were there.
October 6, 2022
This was a super emotional read for me and I’m left in tears. My Salvadoran dad did the same crossing in 1982 and the same themes he would share with me about his journey are the same themes that showed up in this book almost word for word. At times was hard to read because it hit too close to home and what my family has been through. Thank you for this book Javier and giving a voice to so many who have been silenced.
March 3, 2023
This was a book that I read for my IRL book club. Parts of it were absolutely heart wrenching and I would have to put it down for a while. Parts of it were repetitive and could have used a good editor to give it more focus. It is worth reading so that you understand the migrant mindset and what drives the situation at the southern border of the United States
July 18, 2024
Harrowing memoir of a 9yo child traveling up from El Salvador and crossing illegally into the US to join his parents. Entrusted by his grandparents and auntie to a coyote and village acquaintances that are making the trek in the same group and who promise to look after him, Javier tries to be brave and strong.
This is a story about survival, fear, learning fortitude and gaining stamina, learning to read people and understand you might never understand them. What it’s not is a consideration of immigration policy or the social or economic drivers that make people undertake these trips, or of border patrols that try to keep them out.
From a child’s eyes, the fear, the suffering, the kindnesses of strangers, the hope—a moving story of seeking a better life and the actual, literal journey to reach it.
This is a story about survival, fear, learning fortitude and gaining stamina, learning to read people and understand you might never understand them. What it’s not is a consideration of immigration policy or the social or economic drivers that make people undertake these trips, or of border patrols that try to keep them out.
From a child’s eyes, the fear, the suffering, the kindnesses of strangers, the hope—a moving story of seeking a better life and the actual, literal journey to reach it.
November 10, 2023
I read this because a story about having to leave home and crossing the border on foot called out to me. But the book itself fell short of my expectations - perhaps because I read it right after stellar memoirs that also touch on the topic of immigration: House of Sticks and How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child.
I expected the book to include the author's thoughts and feelings about what happened to him when he was a child, and how it impacted his life. But no. The book starts a little before the cross-border journey, then pretty much all page count describes the road and bam! we're done.
The description of the journey was ok, but felt too long and repetitive. For example, when the group gets on the boat and sails for hours, the monotony of the waves and people puking at regular intervals is described to us in a fitting monotonous and redundant manner. I think the book would be better if it was trimmed by at least 50, or better yet 100 pages. Because 384 pages felt way too long for dry descriptions of events and repeated embarrassment of a 10-y.o. boy having to pee/poop in unsuitable places. There's a lot of dialogue and details, but the range of emotions is narrow - longing to get to his parents, fear, embarrassment. All of this is ok and true for a 10-y.o.'s experience but not interesting enough to sustain a whole book without more introspection from the adult who grew out of this 10-y.o. boy.
The author says he went to therapy and came to terms with how these events affected him, but we have to take him at his word, as he doesn't share any of this. Was it weird to live with his dad again, who was abroad since the author was 2 y.o., therefore he didn't remember ever seeing him in real life? How did the journey his parents put him through by himself affect their relationship then, and later in life? We don't get to find out. I can't help but contrast this to the deeply emotional and introspective other memoirs I mention above.
June 9, 2024
Solito by Javier Zamora is a memoir that chronicles the author's journey as a 9-year-old boy migrating from El Salvador to the United States. Zamora's personal memoir is a social commentary, capturing the emotions, dangers, and hopes associated with the immigrant experience.
The strength of Solito is a personal perspective on the difficult 3,000-mile journey he undertook alone, guided by human smugglers. The author paints a vivid picture of the physical and emotional landscapes he walks through. This includes the dangerous desert crossings to the moments of camaraderie with fellow migrants.
9 year old Zamora tells the story of a young frightened boy as he makes his journey to the Inited States in search of his parents. This is an important read for those that do not understand why a person wants to leave their country and the rough passage they must endure in order to make it to America.
***Personal note: one of my patients made this journey at the age of 13. He told me similar stories. Stories of being caught and sent back to El Salvator to start over again. He didn’t walk with others but alone on his long journey
***Side note: if you listen to this on audio speed it up. It sounds much better. I usually listen on 1.5. I had to speed up to 2.0.
The strength of Solito is a personal perspective on the difficult 3,000-mile journey he undertook alone, guided by human smugglers. The author paints a vivid picture of the physical and emotional landscapes he walks through. This includes the dangerous desert crossings to the moments of camaraderie with fellow migrants.
9 year old Zamora tells the story of a young frightened boy as he makes his journey to the Inited States in search of his parents. This is an important read for those that do not understand why a person wants to leave their country and the rough passage they must endure in order to make it to America.
***Personal note: one of my patients made this journey at the age of 13. He told me similar stories. Stories of being caught and sent back to El Salvator to start over again. He didn’t walk with others but alone on his long journey
***Side note: if you listen to this on audio speed it up. It sounds much better. I usually listen on 1.5. I had to speed up to 2.0.
December 7, 2022
Absolutely do not get the hype. I'm sure it was an interesting story to live, but it's SO boring to read. Nothing but a poetic litany of mundane details, especially an abnormal amount of bathroom description. I've read books about potty training that had less pee distribution. I'm 25 minutes from the end and quiting bc he's finally in America and is back to describing pee. I'm over it.
March 8, 2024
Such an emotional, moving experience in Javier Zamora's memoir, Solito. I listened to it on audiobook; it is narrated phenomenally by Zamora.
At age five, Zamora's parents immigrated to the US and promised to have him join them. In the meantime, he lived with his grandparents and uncle in El Salvador. Zamora dreamed of the day he would be reunited with his parents. The memory of his mother's scent held hope and promise for him.
Four years later, at age nine, Zamora is handed to a coyote who will help Zamora and many others on the long trek from El Salvador to Guatemala to Mexico and finally to the United States. The trip is expected to take two weeks. Zamora is a small child among many adult strangers. He becomes friends with Carla, a twelve-year-old girl, who is traveling with her mother, Patricia.
What unfolds is terrifying, particularly when you think of a nine-year-old boy traveling on his own across water, desert, mountains, and unknown terrain. Two weeks turns into two months. Zamora wishes someone would kiss, hug, and tuck him into bed as he sees Patricia do with her daughter, Carla.
The story is told through the eyes of a nine-year-old. He focuses on his bathroom needs, personal hygiene, hunger, thirst, and how he wants someone to hug and snuggle with him. His life depends on the hearts, kindness, and generosity of strangers.
Memoirs are my favorite genre, particularly memoirs of immigrants and/or people in other countries. Stories connect us. The US was built as a nation of immigrants and stories like Zamora's help us better understand the lengths people and families will go to in order to improve their lives.
Other immigrant and/or international memoirs I recommend include:
Dying to Cross: The Worst Immigrant Tragedy in American History
The Devil's Highway: A True Story
Enrique's Journey
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
At age five, Zamora's parents immigrated to the US and promised to have him join them. In the meantime, he lived with his grandparents and uncle in El Salvador. Zamora dreamed of the day he would be reunited with his parents. The memory of his mother's scent held hope and promise for him.
Four years later, at age nine, Zamora is handed to a coyote who will help Zamora and many others on the long trek from El Salvador to Guatemala to Mexico and finally to the United States. The trip is expected to take two weeks. Zamora is a small child among many adult strangers. He becomes friends with Carla, a twelve-year-old girl, who is traveling with her mother, Patricia.
What unfolds is terrifying, particularly when you think of a nine-year-old boy traveling on his own across water, desert, mountains, and unknown terrain. Two weeks turns into two months. Zamora wishes someone would kiss, hug, and tuck him into bed as he sees Patricia do with her daughter, Carla.
The story is told through the eyes of a nine-year-old. He focuses on his bathroom needs, personal hygiene, hunger, thirst, and how he wants someone to hug and snuggle with him. His life depends on the hearts, kindness, and generosity of strangers.
Memoirs are my favorite genre, particularly memoirs of immigrants and/or people in other countries. Stories connect us. The US was built as a nation of immigrants and stories like Zamora's help us better understand the lengths people and families will go to in order to improve their lives.
Other immigrant and/or international memoirs I recommend include:
Dying to Cross: The Worst Immigrant Tragedy in American History
The Devil's Highway: A True Story
Enrique's Journey
Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
March 26, 2024
I admit that when I started this book, I was prepared for a slog. At the end, I'm sobbing, and my soul feels exhausted.
Javier was 9 when he migrated alone from El Salvador to the US, and this is his story.
Going in, I knew this was a memoir. However, I didn't expect it to feel like it was written by a 9 year old. I read a fair bit of middle grade, but I'm not the biggest fan of nonfiction for this age category. However, after a few chapters, I was really invested in this.
This book is a journey. You are going to get tired, dehydrated, and hungry, but along the way, you are going to meet some beautiful hearts.
If you have youngsters in your life, this is a great resource on migration and displacement. My bookworm heart is happy books like this exist for young readers.
Five stars.
Javier was 9 when he migrated alone from El Salvador to the US, and this is his story.
Going in, I knew this was a memoir. However, I didn't expect it to feel like it was written by a 9 year old. I read a fair bit of middle grade, but I'm not the biggest fan of nonfiction for this age category. However, after a few chapters, I was really invested in this.
This book is a journey. You are going to get tired, dehydrated, and hungry, but along the way, you are going to meet some beautiful hearts.
If you have youngsters in your life, this is a great resource on migration and displacement. My bookworm heart is happy books like this exist for young readers.
Five stars.
October 17, 2022
Javier's story is heartbreaking. To think that Javier crossed at 9 -- without any family -- is horrible. I'm amazed by people who will sacrifice *everything* to get to the US. I am blessed to be born a citizen.
That being said, the book was not well-written. It was repetitive and unemotional. I should have been on the edge of my seat with some of these horrible situations or brought to tears, but Javier's writing from his perspective as a nine-year-old boy -- and a nine-year-old boy who was trying to suppress many of his feelings -- was dull. I kept comparing it to Eli Wiesel's Night, thinking that Eli tells his story in a matter-of-fact way but is so much more successful in revealing its horror.
That being said, the book was not well-written. It was repetitive and unemotional. I should have been on the edge of my seat with some of these horrible situations or brought to tears, but Javier's writing from his perspective as a nine-year-old boy -- and a nine-year-old boy who was trying to suppress many of his feelings -- was dull. I kept comparing it to Eli Wiesel's Night, thinking that Eli tells his story in a matter-of-fact way but is so much more successful in revealing its horror.
July 15, 2024
Solito is a harrowing trek of a 9 year old who travels from El Salvador to California. It is filled with resilence, bravery, kindness, and hope are captured on his difficult journey.
September 25, 2022
Solito is the harrowing journey of a 9-year-old Salvadoran boy through Guatemala and Mexico to rejoin his parents in the U.S. The author did a brilliant job in authentically retelling his story from a young boy's perspective - mostly just accepting what the grown-ups tell him, trying to be brave at all times and desperately wanting to belong to a group.
I really felt for little Javier and his family - him for having to go through this incredibly stressful ordeal at such a young age, and his family for not knowing if he's even alive. I can't imagine how desperate you must be to make this choice. My heart goes out to every person having to make these types of decisions.
By the end of the book I was in tears, but not for any reasons you would imagine, but because of the incredible "family" who adopted, helped and loved Javier on his trek. I highly recommend this inspirational and well-written memoir.
I really felt for little Javier and his family - him for having to go through this incredibly stressful ordeal at such a young age, and his family for not knowing if he's even alive. I can't imagine how desperate you must be to make this choice. My heart goes out to every person having to make these types of decisions.
By the end of the book I was in tears, but not for any reasons you would imagine, but because of the incredible "family" who adopted, helped and loved Javier on his trek. I highly recommend this inspirational and well-written memoir.
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December 17, 2023I’ll probably leave this one unrated. This is a heartbreaking account of a nine-year-old boy on his harrowing journey from El Salvador to the US, accompanied by only strangers. I have so much to say about how it was written—I think the perspective of a nine-year-old enhances the experience of an older reader who understands the horror of what he somewhat naively endures; I had an emotional reaction precisely because of his inability to understand the extent of his trauma. The slow pace and repetitiveness, while sometimes making my own reading slow, were understandable as a result of the nature of what Zamora is writing about—it’s hard to criticize when it reflects life. I think I was expecting a stronger emotional response to the book, which leaves me feeling a bit underwhelmed, but this is still very much worth the read for an unfiltered glimpse into the harsh reality of migration in a world of policed borders.
September 23, 2022
To say this was an emotional read is such an understatement and yet I can’t find the right words to explain how much this book moved me.
Most of my family came to this country as immigrants from El Salvador as well due to the United States funded Salvadoran Civil War. They each have their own story to tell of what their journey was like. As I read this book, my heart ached for my family that made this similar journey and then my heart ached some more that a 9 year old went through this.
Javier Zamora has a way of showing you his journey still with the same way his 9 year old self went through it. The child like innocence, the confusion, the anxieties, the fear and the hope, the hope that he would eventually see his family at the end of this long trek. As I read his memoir, I felt at times an anxiety I rarely feel when I read and it’s because he just has a way of putting you into his memories.
The beautiful thing that came out of this memoir is the family he found in the 3 strangers that showed their kindness to him. I’m hoping he’s able to reunite with them.
Read this book. Read it to catch a glimpse of one immigrant story, the stories we rarely hear due to the trauma caused by them, due to how much immigrant voices are quieted in this country.
Most of my family came to this country as immigrants from El Salvador as well due to the United States funded Salvadoran Civil War. They each have their own story to tell of what their journey was like. As I read this book, my heart ached for my family that made this similar journey and then my heart ached some more that a 9 year old went through this.
Javier Zamora has a way of showing you his journey still with the same way his 9 year old self went through it. The child like innocence, the confusion, the anxieties, the fear and the hope, the hope that he would eventually see his family at the end of this long trek. As I read his memoir, I felt at times an anxiety I rarely feel when I read and it’s because he just has a way of putting you into his memories.
The beautiful thing that came out of this memoir is the family he found in the 3 strangers that showed their kindness to him. I’m hoping he’s able to reunite with them.
Read this book. Read it to catch a glimpse of one immigrant story, the stories we rarely hear due to the trauma caused by them, due to how much immigrant voices are quieted in this country.
October 2, 2022
I’m sure that if I understood Spanish I would’ve enjoyed this book more. Unfortunately, I don’t, and it made this book an ordeal to get through. Constantly having to stop and look up words left me unable to get in any sort of flow and I felt sort of lost many times. Seems like a smarter thing to do would be to offer a Spanish version and an English version where ALL the words were translated but that’s just me.
September 20, 2022
Did anyone else cry at the end? I may have also teared up a couple of other times.
Solito details nine-year old Javier Zamora’s seven week journey from El Salvador to La USA. Javier’s parents are already living in California and years after their arrival, they pay coyotes to bring their young son, unaccompanied by any family, to America.
The story is told from the young boy’s perspective, emotions and fears. The humor, innocence and game playing that young Javier brings to the story makes this memoir so unique. His travel companions and second family, Chino, Patricia and Carla, are the bright spot of Javier’s voyage and any parents’ dream of travel companions for their child during this harrowing solo journey.
The writing is so beautifully descriptive that I almost felt like I was there in the desert too. It reads so much like fiction that it amazed me every time I thought about the fact that this story and these characters are real.
After finishing this book I wanted to read the sequel and prequel. I hope Mr. Zamora tells us more of his story. It’s extremely eye-opening and captivating. And, like Javier, I hope for this as well:
“My hope for this book is that it will somehow reunite me with Chino, Patricia, and Carla, that I will find out what happened to them after we separated and learn what their lives have been like in this country…I want to thank them now, as an adult, for risking their lives for a nine-year-old they did not know.”
Solito details nine-year old Javier Zamora’s seven week journey from El Salvador to La USA. Javier’s parents are already living in California and years after their arrival, they pay coyotes to bring their young son, unaccompanied by any family, to America.
The story is told from the young boy’s perspective, emotions and fears. The humor, innocence and game playing that young Javier brings to the story makes this memoir so unique. His travel companions and second family, Chino, Patricia and Carla, are the bright spot of Javier’s voyage and any parents’ dream of travel companions for their child during this harrowing solo journey.
The writing is so beautifully descriptive that I almost felt like I was there in the desert too. It reads so much like fiction that it amazed me every time I thought about the fact that this story and these characters are real.
After finishing this book I wanted to read the sequel and prequel. I hope Mr. Zamora tells us more of his story. It’s extremely eye-opening and captivating. And, like Javier, I hope for this as well:
“My hope for this book is that it will somehow reunite me with Chino, Patricia, and Carla, that I will find out what happened to them after we separated and learn what their lives have been like in this country…I want to thank them now, as an adult, for risking their lives for a nine-year-old they did not know.”
May 4, 2023
Javier Zamora, like my own daughter, was born in 1990. In the spring of 1999, while my daughter was finishing third grade, practicing handsprings, and sleeping safely in the room next to ours, Javier was journeying alone to join his parents in “la USA,” from the tiny fishing village in El Salvador where he had been born. That is a distance of 3000 miles—by buses, a boat, the beds of pickup trucks, and many miles on foot through the Sonoran desert. For nine weeks, Javier’s parents had no idea where he was, whether he was alive or dead. That thought rarely left my awareness as I devoured this moving memoir recounting little Javier’s ordeal.
Whatever your thoughts about American immigration policy, you have to feel for this little boy through whose innocent eyes we see all the events of this engrossing narrative. When he leaves home, Javier still doesn’t know how to tie his shoes and is afraid of flush toilets. He is entrusted by his grandfather to the “coyote” who four years before had safely escorted Javier’s mother to join Javier’s father, who, when Javier was a toddler, had needed to leave El Salvador on account of politics. Sadly, Javier was deserted by both the coyote and a man from Javier’s town to whom Javier’s grandfather had trusted him for protection. Dependent on the kindness of strangers, Javier is befriended by a mother, daughter, and their fellow townsman, who quite literally save Javier’s life, many times.
That this is a book by a poet is readily apparent by the vividness of its felt life, its appeal to all the senses. We experience the nausea of rocking in a small boat in the Pacific, the intense heat of the desert by day, the cold at night, the stench of unwashed bodies, aching feelings of hunger and thirst, but also the savor of good food after a long fast, the wonder of seeing new plants and animals, the sparkle of moonlight on the sand. Here’s a passage I marked as I read: “One by one we stand. I dust myself. Look at the pinholes in the sky’s dark blanket. Stars twinkling ¿Why do they blink like that? ¿Can they see the dirt under our feet? Like old newspapers. Crinkle. Crunch. Like walking on eggshells. Crack. The gallons of water in people’s hands. Slosh. We’re walking again.” In one of the interviews I read, Zamora explains that “you have to process the fear somehow,” and that a way to do that is “finding beauty in the landscape or making jokes or really loving food, these become your new echelons of joy. I wanted to honor that aspect.” He also reproduces Salvadoran vernacular, caliche, because, he says in the interview, “that’s how we think, that’s how I think.” That makes the book somewhat challenging to read at times, and I depended a lot on my phone for the many words I didn’t learn in long-ago Spanish classes, but the authenticity made the challenge well worth it.
The book deserves every honor it has received. I will be thinking about it for a long time.
Whatever your thoughts about American immigration policy, you have to feel for this little boy through whose innocent eyes we see all the events of this engrossing narrative. When he leaves home, Javier still doesn’t know how to tie his shoes and is afraid of flush toilets. He is entrusted by his grandfather to the “coyote” who four years before had safely escorted Javier’s mother to join Javier’s father, who, when Javier was a toddler, had needed to leave El Salvador on account of politics. Sadly, Javier was deserted by both the coyote and a man from Javier’s town to whom Javier’s grandfather had trusted him for protection. Dependent on the kindness of strangers, Javier is befriended by a mother, daughter, and their fellow townsman, who quite literally save Javier’s life, many times.
That this is a book by a poet is readily apparent by the vividness of its felt life, its appeal to all the senses. We experience the nausea of rocking in a small boat in the Pacific, the intense heat of the desert by day, the cold at night, the stench of unwashed bodies, aching feelings of hunger and thirst, but also the savor of good food after a long fast, the wonder of seeing new plants and animals, the sparkle of moonlight on the sand. Here’s a passage I marked as I read: “One by one we stand. I dust myself. Look at the pinholes in the sky’s dark blanket. Stars twinkling ¿Why do they blink like that? ¿Can they see the dirt under our feet? Like old newspapers. Crinkle. Crunch. Like walking on eggshells. Crack. The gallons of water in people’s hands. Slosh. We’re walking again.” In one of the interviews I read, Zamora explains that “you have to process the fear somehow,” and that a way to do that is “finding beauty in the landscape or making jokes or really loving food, these become your new echelons of joy. I wanted to honor that aspect.” He also reproduces Salvadoran vernacular, caliche, because, he says in the interview, “that’s how we think, that’s how I think.” That makes the book somewhat challenging to read at times, and I depended a lot on my phone for the many words I didn’t learn in long-ago Spanish classes, but the authenticity made the challenge well worth it.
The book deserves every honor it has received. I will be thinking about it for a long time.
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