Bingo Square: Migrant – and bingos 8, 9 and 10 – 1st row, 1st column, and diagonal (top left to bottom right).
I didn’t really have anything from the books I had read that I thought would be a good fit (there was a super forced fit but it felt disrespectful given everything going on in the world with immigration etc). When I had been searching through my TBR pile, I had considered several Isabel Allende novels as an option but couldn’t decide. So when I decided I just needed to read something new to fill this square, this one was still fresh in my mind.
I used to consider Allende one of my favorite authors (while also recognizing she had some flaws) but the older I get, the less I read straight fiction so a lot of those old favorite authors have been neglected for the next fantasy novel. But, having read this one – the woman knows how to tell a story that is gripping and emotional, with complicated characters and messy lives.
This novel spans over 80 years and is very much inspired by current day and topical events. Released in 2023, it includes Covid, immigration issues and even briefly alludes to a Stephen Miller like character- a family member who works for the administration and just simply doesn’t represent the values of his family (sadly, this administration is back in power and not simply a matter of the past as it was when Allende published this).
There are four POV characters, all representing different immigration stories. Samuel Adler was a young Jewish child in Austria when Anschluss happened, and after Kristallnacht, his family, realizing how dire circumstances are, secures him a spot on the Kindertransport. Letitia and her father left El Salvador in 1981 after their entire village, including their family, were murdered during a government sanctioned massacre when they happened to be in the city. Selena’s an American whose family lives in LA but traces her roots to Mexico. Selena lives in Arizona now, working with a non-profit to help children caught up in the immigration system – by finding them legal representation, monitoring their cases, trying to reconnect them with their family (or find distant family members living in the States). Finally, there is Anita, a 8 year old, mostly blind girl, one of Selena’s latest cases. In fear for her life and her daughter’s safety from local criminals, Anita’s mother fled El Salvador and crossed the border with Anita, only to be separated, with Anita in the system and her mother missing.
This novel reminded me what a strong writer Alllende is – it’s definitely a timely and heartbreaking novel to read as Allende doesn’t hesitate to draw connections between the experiences of people separated by decades, and also very much calls out how US interference led to the very political instability causing people to leave their homes. While Anita’s story was impactful, her point of view was the one I struggled with most since Allende was writing this one from a child’s perspective (five years old Sam’s story was more told through the eyes of the adults around him or third person omniscient). As tragic and sad as many paths were, Allende also emphasizes the humanity and the connections built between good people as she makes sure to include people that do the right thing and make an effort to help, even if that kindness can carry a cost, showing glimpses of hope throughout.