Border Child

February 20, 2017
Life in the tiny Mexican village of Puerto Isadore has always been difficult, but ever since Hector and Lilia returned from crossing the border into the U.S., their hardships have increased. After the disappearance of their baby, Alejandra, whom Lilia was separated from while traveling north three years earlier, the town itself—as well as their own futures—looks bleak. When Hector happens upon Emanuel, the only person who can connect them to the human smuggler they used for their crossing, they begin to hope—either for a happy reunion with their daughter or the closure they need. Hector travels to Acapulco to hopefully find the coyote who can explain what happened to Alejandra. Lilia, who is now expecting their third child, stays in Puerto Isadore with their two-year-old son. As Hector, desperate to earn the money to search for Alejandra, works dangerous jobs for questionable characters, Lilia struggles not only with her guilt but also with a difficult pregnancy. Chapters of alternating narratives allow Lilia and Hector’s voices to come through. Although their story depends too heavily on stereotypes of people and circumstances from both sides of the border, it is a poignant portrayal of the struggles and choices faced by those in difficult conditions.

Starred review from January 15, 2017
Losing a child--whether to death, kidnapping, war, or other calamities--is widely recognized as one of life's most traumatic experiences.It's a reality that Lilia and her husband, Hector, know well. The story begins in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, in a remote village with few opportunities for economic or social advancement. Even as a child, Hector wanted more, and this, along with a ferocious interest in seeing the world, motivated him as a young father to leave his family and undertake a harrowing journey to the United States as an undocumented immigrant. Jobs were plentiful, and soon after arriving he settled in South Carolina, where he found both a place to live and employment that paid a living wage. But Lilia missed Hector and hated the fact that they were separated. This led her to contact a coyote and, with her infant daughter, Alejandra, in tow, begin the treacherous process of joining him. All goes smoothly until the coyote informs Lilia that she cannot cross la linea--the border--with the baby. He instructs her to turn the child over to an experienced trafficker and assures her that they will be reunited several days later. Suffice it to say that this doesn't happen, and, as you'd expect, the impact is devastating. Is Alejandra alive or dead? How could she simply vanish? As the novel progresses, readers bear witness to the strain that develops between Lilia and Hector and experience the stomach-churning agony of the couple's multifaceted attempts to find out what happened to their daughter. As the mystery unfolds, the tension builds, and so do the risks taken. A gripping and politically savvy look at the human impact of current immigration policy and an honest examination of the perils facing desperate immigrants as they travel north.

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March 1, 2017
Stone continues the saga of the Mexican family she introduced in her poignant The Iguana Tree (2012) by portraying the harsh realities of the contemporary immigrant experience. Lilia and Hector have returned to their sleepy Mexican village, Puerto Isadore, after being deported from South Carolina, where Hector worked on a tree farm. It is nearly four years since they lost their infant daughter, Alejandra, at the Texas border. They now have a two-year-old son, and Lilia is seven months pregnant, but they have never given up hope of finding Alejandra alive. When they receive a tip that might lead to information about her whereabouts, Hector follows the trail to Acapulco, where he unwittingly becomes involved in dangerous and illegal activities while trying to earn enough money to continue his search. Back in Puerto Isadore, Lilia experiences problems with her pregnancy and fears she may lose this baby as well as Alejandra. Stone perceptively conveys the obstacles faced by this strong couple, who have given up on their American dream and want only to keep their family together.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2016

In The Iguana Tree, Stone's debut novel, Hector and Lilia lost their infant daughter in a dangerous border crossing. Now back in Oaxaca, they learn that there's a chance to recover her. Recipient of the South Carolina Fiction Project Award and some terrific reviews for Tree, Stone looks to be breaking out with this big-house sequel.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2017

The sequel to Stone's acclaimed 2013 novel, The Iguana Tree, does not disappoint. The author picks up with the story of young couple Lilia and Hector a few years after their infant daughter Alejandra vanished when the family attempted to cross the border from Mexico to the United States. They're back in the small seaside town of Puerto Isadore; Lilia now has had a son, Fernando, and is pregnant with another child. They receive a tip about their daughter, and with the help of a local priest, they contact an orphanage where Alejandra may be. Hector works dangerous and illegal jobs to earn money to travel to Matamoros, a very poor city on the Gulf of Mexico and the border with Texas. What he finds is a heartbreaking dilemma that challenges the selflessness of parenthood. VERDICT Stone is a great storyteller, and readers will enjoy learning about lesser-known Mexican cities. There is never a dull moment in this lyrical, engrossing novel, which is great for fans of Latin American or any fiction that deals with immigrants. Particularly important reading in our current political climate. [See Prepub Alert, 10/10/16.]--Kate Gray, Boston P.L., MA

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.