WHERE WE COME FROM by Oscar Cásares is a
powerful novel. It is a well-written story
for our times, but it does much more than mirror headlines. As Cásares noted in a recent interview, he began this work in order to explore the idea of cultural
immigration and what happens to people as they become more assimilated. Strong
emotions – love, fear, hope, shame, disappointment - are associated with WHERE
WE COME FROM which tells the story of many
characters, including:
- Orly, who is a twelve-year-old boy whose mother has recently died and who is sent to spend the summer near the border in Brownsville, Texas with his godmother, la madrina. She is named
- Nina, who is a retired school teacher and now cares for her ailing mother and for Chivito, another young boy, just becoming a teen. He is named
- Daniel, who is on a quest to avoid capture and to meet his father (who emigrated from Veracruz, Mexico) in Chicago
Cásares deftly explores misunderstandings,
manipulations, and internal tensions as each faces questions of bravery and trust. As Cásares develops the relationships
between characters, he also intersperses italicized vignettes containing the
stories of otherwise almost invisible, minor characters like a local policeman
who is the son of an unauthorized immigrant or an inspirational teacher facing
deportation due to an expired work permit.
For a sense of the writing style and
story line, see Texas Monthly’s
recently published short excerpt here. Booklist says “Teens
will be moved by this heartfelt story about an intensely timely subject that
demands attention.” We will definitely be booktalking this title and
encouraging classes like Global Voices and other Senior electives to consider
adding it to the curriculum. WHERE WE COME FROM received a starred review from Kirkus.
