Ismail N.’s Reviews > The Last Best Place?: Gender, Family, and Migration in the New West > Status Update

While the book is well written and the findings are interesting, I can’t help but feel her take away message, the cohesion and vulnerability of Mexican families, is undermined by her attachment to her subjects. For 100 pages, Schmalzbauer has tried to paint a victimized culture, often using her students, children, or own resources to help these struggling families. Read with caution.