This is just going to be a quick little write up of this charming novella. This little story nudges in at just over 100 pages, so can be read in one sitting easily. I managed to squeeze it in while both my children napped (a small miracle).
Makina, our protagonist has been sent by her grandmother to find her brother who has moved to America from a small village somewhere in Mexico. She enlists the help of the criminal underworld and manages to cross Rio Grande, and finds herself in a confusing and scary place, searching for her brother with little to go on. Certain aspects of American culture bemuse her, such as the baseball stadium, which offers her escort the chance to make a nice little speech about baseball.
Gender plays a big role in this small book, and to Makina being a female is more of a hindrance than a help, but one that seems to have made her tough enough to make this journey. She injures the groping hand of a man on the bus, and it doesn't seem like a new situation to her. She can take care of herself, and at one point mentions she knows her sister will be able to as well. There's alot of other themes at play here, and quite a few stand out scenes packed into this condensed read.
Also the tanslators note is a nice little insight into the work they have done, if you are boring like me and are interested in that sort of thing.
This is nice quick read, and one that is packed with symbolism and underlying themes. It's a short, clever and tender story, and has moments that are devastating.
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