Book Review: The Distance Between Us (Young Reader Edition) by Reyna Grande

“When my father beat me and insulted me when he was drunk, I’d hold on to the dreams he had given me. I would think about those dreams when the blows came, because the father who beat me, the one who preferred to stay home and drink rather than attend my band concerts or parent-teacher conferences, wasn’t the same father who would tell me that one day I’d be somebody in this country. That much I knew.“

Summary:

Award-winning author Reyna Grande shares her compelling experience of crossing borders and cultures in this middle grade adaptation of her “compelling…unvarnished, resonant” ( BookPage ) memoir, The Distance Between Us .

When her parents make the dangerous and illegal trek across the Mexican border in pursuit of the American dream, Reyna and her siblings are forced to live with their stern grandmother, as they wait for their parents to build the foundation of a new life.

But when things don’t go quite as planned, Reyna finds herself preparing for her own journey to “El Otro Lado” to live with the man who has haunted her imagination for her long-absent father. Both funny and heartbreaking, The Distance Between Us beautifully captures the struggle that Reyna and her siblings endured while trying to assimilate to a different culture, language, and family life in El Otro Lado (The Other Side).

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My Thoughts:

The Distance Between Us is a heavy hitting Memoir. Being an immigrant in America was difficult, but I never fully understood the struggles one goes through to thrive in our country. Grande paints a beautiful story with swirls of pain and hope that one can’t help but fall in love with. Through a series of bad breaks, sketchy border crossings, and the struggle to gain citizenship you hope Reyna can break free from the cycle of sadness. The Distance Between Us is just a glimpse into the hardships of chasing the American dream. I would recommend to anyone who is interested in the immigrant experience or Hispanic literature.

Renya’s parents abounded her and her siblings with her grandmother, who kept them alive. More or less they were treated as orphans by her and the community. Their mother was in their lives when it was convenient for her. Renya’s father comes to back into the children’s lives almost as a hero. I wanted him to be the hero, but Reyna’s father suffers from his own demons which could be a story of its own. He truly wanted better for his children and in his own way took risks to make sure they had a chance to better themselves.

While I enjoyed the journey of Renya’s life, I had a hard time reading about the abuse and other unfortunate events that take place. This is not a feel good read. Renya endures the physical and emotional abuse from her upbringing and yet holds on to a love for her family. In the end, she is able to break away from poverty, but the reader is left with the feeling she carries the weight of her past. Overall Grande shares a powerful story.

Should you read The Distance Between Us?

Yes. The Distance Between Us is a well written memoir. The heavy themes made for a difficult read for me, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give The Distance Between Us a try. If you are looking for a heavy hitting memoir look no further than The Distance Between Us.