Ebook The Distance Between Us A Memoir Reyna Grande 9781451661781 Books
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“In this poignant memoir about her childhood in Mexico, Reyna Grande skillfully depicts another side of the immigrant experience—the hardships and heartbreaks of the children who are left behind.” —Sonia Nazario, Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of Enrique's Journey
Reyna Grande vividly brings to life her tumultuous early years in this “compelling . . . unvarnished, resonant” (BookPage) story of a childhood spent torn between two parents and two countries. As her parents make the dangerous trek across the Mexican border to “El Otro Lado” (The Other Side) in pursuit of the American dream, Reyna and her siblings are forced into the already overburdened household of their stern grandmother. When their mother at last returns, Reyna prepares for her own journey to “El Otro Lado” to live with the man who has haunted her imagination for years, her long-absent father.
Funny, heartbreaking, and lyrical, The Distance Between Us poignantly captures the confusion and contradictions of childhood, reminding us that the joys and sorrows we experience are imprinted on the heart forever, calling out to us of those places we first called home.
Also available in Spanish as La distancia entre nosotros.
Ebook The Distance Between Us A Memoir Reyna Grande 9781451661781 Books
"This is the story of a girl who escaped dire poverty in Mexico, and achieved success on"the Other Side" - el Otro Lado. But there was a high cost to pay, not only by herself, but by her parents and siblings, the breaking up of their family. In fact, she states in her book that this is not uncommon, that the usual emigration involves leaving close members of the family behind. And these journeys don't always have a successful outcome, they may end in a worse ghetto, the price may be too high, the loss of family, religion, community, culture, pride. Interesting, this is the process most immigrants to the U.S. go through, but the difference is that we are neighbors. At any rate, she describes her life in graphic detail, getting in to the nitty gritty, giving us insight into her experience."
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The Distance Between Us A Memoir Reyna Grande 9781451661781 Books Reviews :
The Distance Between Us A Memoir Reyna Grande 9781451661781 Books Reviews
- This spring, I've read the texts from my friend's Albion College course on the Mexican-American Immigrant Experience. I just finished the last book, The Distance Between Us, by Reyna Grande. Grande's memoir of her childhood is powerful her Mexican parents came (illegally) to "El Otro Lado" (The Other Side), Los Angeles, to find work, and left her and her siblings with their abusive grandmother. Later, Reyna and siblings ran across the border to join their father, and started school here, not knowing a word of English. (Reyna was the first of her family to graduate from college.) This book is painful, powerful, well-written -- difficult to read at times, but I couldn't put it down. Especially at this time of "Build The Wall", this book needs to be read. Strongly recommend!
- I never realized the struggles many have gone through in search of a better life. Never realized the difficult, no horrendous, situations they came from. This book is an eye opener and one that will stay with me for a long time! I worked beside many that came from Mexico to work in the cherry orchards. I saw them going to their trucks or empty huts at the end of the day as I went home to comfort. I never gave it a thought about what their lives were like. I was picking cherries for school clothes. They we picking for survival! What a different outlook I have now! My heart goes out to those who are struggling for survival each and every day.
- I thought I had lived a portion of my childhood in poverty, but when I read this wonderfully written memoir, I saw that poverty in the US cannot be compared to poverty in Mexico! This true story reflects Reyna Grande's struggle with abandonment, "for the greater good," dysfunctional parents, and her deep love for both of her homes, the first in Mexico, and then her new home in the United States where, thanks to the Reagan amnesty program, she embraced citizenship and opportunity.
This child, then woman, writes with love for some who would be unlovable for most of us and with a positive view of what would seem ugly and unbearable to most. I love her though I'll probably never have the privilege to meet her.
Besides Reyna's wonderful, well-written story, it was fun to practico mi limited, Español, more aptly, as you can read in this sentence, Spanglish. Reyna punctuates portions of her English with it, and mostly explains each Spanish word as she goes.
I loved this book and would recommend it to fiction and non-fiction lovers alike. - One of the few books that I have ever felt such a deep connection to. Reyna describes her struggles between coming to the U.S. or staying in stricken poverty back in Mexico. This book tells of the deeply rooted reasons why so many make the dangerous trip to a place where possibilities are endless. As a first generation Latin@, I think back to the struggles and abuse my own mother dealt with both in Mexico and her in the United States. I am here because of her sacrifices and cherish her that much more. Even though my mother has kept many stories from us, we have known enough of her history through pictures of abuse and struggle. I thank Reyna for being able to put into words experiences of what I can only imagine my mother went through. Everyone MUST read this book. It is real life and many don't realize the struggle that others have just across the border from us.
- This is the story of a girl who escaped dire poverty in Mexico, and achieved success on"the Other Side" - el Otro Lado. But there was a high cost to pay, not only by herself, but by her parents and siblings, the breaking up of their family. In fact, she states in her book that this is not uncommon, that the usual emigration involves leaving close members of the family behind. And these journeys don't always have a successful outcome, they may end in a worse ghetto, the price may be too high, the loss of family, religion, community, culture, pride. Interesting, this is the process most immigrants to the U.S. go through, but the difference is that we are neighbors. At any rate, she describes her life in graphic detail, getting in to the nitty gritty, giving us insight into her experience.
- I will admit, I did not read any reviews prior to purchasing this book. Actually, I only read a few sentences of the summary before deciding to purchase it. This book is very well written, Grande is a wonderful author and I am excited to read more from her. Definitely reccommend, not only to other Mexican Americans or Latinos but to anyone who is willing to open up their ears and hearts to the struggles of those coming to the U.S. in search for a better future. Her story is like many others, I hope this book is read by many who are blind to the reality of what the American Dream is for Mexican Immigrants. We don't come to this country to take, we come to give and to belong.
(Spoiler Alert) I had no idea her journey would lead her from her small town in Mexico to LA then to Santa Cruz, CA. I was so happy to read that her destiny lead her to life 15 minutes from my home town and her sister Betty would end up in Watsonville, CA which is my hometown in the USA.
My parents, like hers, came from a very poor area of Mexico, they left in search for a better future to offer their future children. My siblings were taken back to my parent's hometown after the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989. They too had to live with grandparents and feel like orphans for almost a year. Her story brought tears to my eyes time and time again. - A very moving story revealing the tragedy and triumph of coming to America from Mexico and succeeding. Anyone who has thought about building a wall to keep immigrants out of the US, needs to read this book. Ms. Grande writes about her experiences of and her triumph over abuse, neglect and abandonment. She tells her life story in a clear and efficient manner without rhetoric. She is so efficient in her storytelling that it belies the extent of the pain and anguish she and her beloved sisters and brother must have endured. I felt like she was trying to protect the reader from the true horror of her experience.
