The River Flows North

by Graciela Limón

"There is a pathway traveled by migrants that cuts away from the Mexican border as it slithers north through the Arizona desert up to Interstate 8. Migrants know this highway as la Ocho, the road that takes them to a better life, but the trail that leads to that highway is ruthless and unforgiving." In Sonora, a group of immigrants circles around a coyote, Leonardo Cerda, who will--for a price--lead them across the treacherous desert to the United States. Fearful that Cerda may be one of those who will collect their money up front and then leave them stranded to die, the travelers ultimately are forced to put their trust in him and begin the dangerous crossing to a new life. Afraid even of each other, they initially avoid eye contact or conversation. But as the three-day passage across the blistering landscape progresses, the fight to survive the grueling trip ensures that their lives--and deaths--are linked forever. While trudging along, placing one exhausted foot in front of the other, the travelers each remember their lives and the reasons they have been forced to abandon their land, homes and loved ones. Among the immigrants is Menda Fuentes, a salvadorena, the only member of her family to survive a massacre during her country's civil war. Then there is Julio Escalante and his young grandson Manuelito, who pay the full fee even though they plan to go only halfway. By their side is Encarnacion Padilla, an ancient indigenous woman who has survived ostracism and her involvement in the Zapatista uprising. Next to her walk Nicanor and Borrego Osuna, two brothers who suffer the ultimate indignity just to make it to the United States. Finally, there is Armando Guerrero, shifty, suspicious-looking, and clearly different from the rest because of his fancy clothes as well as the mysterious bag to which he clings. In addition to confronting their own internal demons, they must also face the dangers that they encounter on the trail: poisonous snakes, debilitating dehydration and exhaustion, and a ferocious sandstorm that tears the group apart. This riveting novel explores the lives behind the news stories and confirms Limon's status as one of the country's premiere Latinas writing about issues that affect us all.

Genres: Fiction, School

177 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2009

About the author

Graciela Limón is the author of eight widely read novels: In Search of Bernabé, The Memories of Ana Calderón, The Song of the Hummingbird, Day of the Moon, Erased Faces, Left Alive, The River Flows North and The Madness of Mamá Carlota. Her writing has received reviews from Publishers Weekly, library Journals and scholarly journals. The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Houston Chronicle and other leading newspapers have reviewed her work, as well as several anthologies. She was the recipient of the prestigious award for U.S. Literature: The Luis Leal Literary Award. The Los Angeles Times listed her as a notable writer for the year 1993. The Life of Ximena Godoy is due to be published in the spring of 2015. Graciela was born in Los Angeles, California, where she has resided until recently relocating to Simi Valley, California. Los Angeles plays a major role in many of her novels.

Reviews

[Malaika]

Border Crossers are just numerical values and abstract notions, as created by the mainstream media, until literature like "The River Flows North" brings them to life. A monument, this novel delves into the memories and experiences of a diverse group of undocumented mexican migrants trying to escape the south and return to their ancestral homeland in the pursuit of the security and stability. The journey is treacherous and insecure. The people are tragic but resilient. The author does a good job in putting face to the statistics and making the readers acknowledge the horrors these people have to face. A must read with the surge of deportation and horrible treatment of migrants by administrations like Trump.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for class.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it easy to delve into. Limon does a wonderful job weaving together the lives of a diverse group of people all chasing one thing. I especially loved the narrative style and how each section followed a first-person account of what led that one character to this journey. Getting little bits and pieces at a time made for a unique reading experience before it all came together into one picture.

The story was heartbreaking, and I was sad to see how some of these character’s stories ended.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting and extremely impactful! A must-read to better understand the journeys of migrants to the U.S.

[Jack Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

gut punching

[Mi-Mi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart-wrenching. I cried.

[Aundreah Alcantar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily one of my top five favorite novels of all time. The harrowing story of a group of immigrants making their way to a "better" land by crossing an unrelenting desert. The fact that they believe themselves prepared for what lies ahead, how the danger doesn't seem real at first. Getting to know these characters and then seeing who makes it at the end kept me flipping pages.

[Reni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been better than it is if it had elected to dedicate more than one short chapter to each of the characters. As it is the characters feel shallow, like archetypes more than complete, real people, which is unfortunate considering the very real subject matter, that otherwise could have been given a very human face if only the characters didn't read as flat as they do. It's short length is the book's greatest enemy.

[Sydney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uh oh.
Cliché, flat characters; overt symbols; contrived situations; forced dialogue; weird organization; bad writing. I would not have finished it if it weren't an assignment. At least it's short.
Ouch. Sorry.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

border crossing: nightmarish encounters with death while seeking better lives.


not for kids.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book explores really important issues. Her writing tends to be melodramatic and over the top.