paperback, 416 pages
Published Feb. 1, 2022 by Holt Paperbacks.
Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while cracks are beginning to show in Acapulco because of the cartels, Lydia’s life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. But after her husband’s tell-all profile of the newest drug lord is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.
Forced to flee, Lydia and Luca find themselves joining the countless people trying to reach the United States. Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?
On the run from narcos, mother & son join the desperate stream of humanity heading for the US. Terrifying, exhausting & exhilarating, with the unrelenting momentum of a freight train. Trails off towards end.
Reading time 4 days, 116 pages/day
Cummins has written a riveting, well-researched story about the experience of Mexican migrants from their pov. It is a good story and well told. The characters have a level of complexity that avoid simple stereotypes.
That being said, there are some annoying stylistic issues, including head-hopping that becomes distracting. Nevertheless, Cummins's storytelling is solid and the subject matter--how easily life can collapse in a lawless society where narco traffickers command such authority, where there is so much corruption and even casual conversations with the wrong people, do leave you vulnerable--is timely and vital. I enjoyed the story more than the execution.
