Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Infinite Country

Infinite Country
Infinite Country
Author: Patricia Engel
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Hardcover
VolunteerVal avatar reviewed on + 645 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


"I've had borders drawn around me all my life, but I refuse to live as a bordered person. I hate the term 'undocumented.' It implies people like my mother and me don't exist without a paper trail. I have a drawer full of diaries and letters ... that will prove to anyone that I am very real, most definitely documented. ... Don't tell me I'm undocumented when my name is tattooed on my father's arm." - Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

Family. Freedom. Borders. Loss. Love. Patricia Engel, the daughter of Colombian parents, authentically addresses these topics in only 200 pages in Infinite Kingdom. The novel explores the heartbreaking results when US immigration policies impact a three-generation Colombian-American family. The author asks the difficult question: What sacrifices would you endure to improve the lives of your loved ones?

It was especially meaningful to read this novel after reading "The Line Becomes a River" by Francisco Cantu last month. I will think of Mauro, Elena, and their family when I hear immigration stories on the news.