We Are Not from Here
by Jenny Torres Sanchez (Author)
A poignant novel of desperation, escape, and survival across the U.S.-Mexico border, inspired by current events.
A Pura Belpré 2021 Young Adult Author Honor Book!
A BookPage Best Book of 2020!
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best of 2020!
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2020!
A New York Public Library 2020 Top 10 Best Book for Teens!
Pulga has his dreams.
Chico has his grief.
Pequeña has her pride.
And these three teens have one another. But none of them have illusions about the town they've grown up in and the dangers that surround them. Even with the love of family, threats lurk around every corner. And when those threats become all too real, the trio knows they have no choice but to run: from their country, from their families, from their beloved home.
Crossing from Guatemala through Mexico, they follow the route of La Bestia, the perilous train system that might deliver them to a better life--if they are lucky enough to survive the journey. With nothing but the bags on their backs and desperation drumming through their hearts, Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña know there is no turning back, despite the unknown that awaits them. And the darkness that seems to follow wherever they go.
In this striking portrait of lives torn apart, the plight of migrants at the U.S. southern border is brought to light through poignant, vivid storytelling. An epic journey of danger, resilience, heartache, and hope.
Praise for We Are Not From Here
"A fierce and tender story . . . Relevant, timely, and perceptive." --Margarita Engle, winner of the Pura Belpre Award and Newbery Honor
"With poignant, exhausting lyricism and heart wrenching poetic prose, Jenny Torres Sanchez digs deep and shows us the throbbing, aching corazón--the hopeful, unbreakable spirit of the embattled immigrant. A book for the starving, lost soul." --Guadalupe García McCall, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Under the Mesquite
"An incredibly powerful, soul-searing YA. [I]mportant and necessary.... I could not put this book down." --Padma Venkatraman, award-winning author of The Bridge Home
"We Are Not From Here is one of the most relevant and needed young adult novels of the year, a must-read". --Jennifer Mathieu, critically acclaimed author of The Liars of Mariposa Island and Moxie
"An achingly beautifully story...masterfully told...Jenny Torres Sanchez is a true leader within young adult fiction." --Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of The Red Umbrella
"We Are Not From Here is absolutely stunning. It's raw and real, gritty and gorgeously told. A story that's painfully relevant today, and told with such precision and beauty, you can feel it. It's breathtaking and left me absolutely breathless." --Lauren Gibaldi, author of This Tiny Perfect World
"We Are Not From Here is a book that will mark your heart. Jenny Torres Sanchez challenges us to feel, empathize and understand. A searing, necessary and ultimately beautiful book." --Alexandra Villasante, critically acclaimed author of The Grief Keeper
* "A brutally honest, not-to-be-missed narrative...gripping, heart-wrenching, and thrilling." --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
* "A candid, realistic story that will leave readers thinking about the characters--and about our own world--long after the last page." --SLJ, STARRED REVIEW
* "Gripping, poignant...this soul-shaking narrative [recalls] the works of Gabriel García Márquez." --Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
* "A devastating read that is difficult to put down, this unforgettable book unflinchingly illuminates the experiences of those leaving their homes to seek safety in the United States." --Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
"The short chapters, candid writing, and strong character development should appeal to even the most reluctant of readers as suspense about whether the characters will survive the journey builds in one heart-rending scene after another." --Horn Book
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School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up--Pequeña, Pulga, and Chico know that in Puerto Barrios, their future and the future of those around them is always uncertain. After Pulga and Chico witness the murder of Don Feliciano, they are pulled in to local gang leader Rey's group, their lives and loved ones threatened unless they comply. Pequeña, who has suffered from Rey's threats in silence and has given birth to his child, can see all too clearly the future she will have by his side. In desperation, Pequeña, Pulga, and Chico leave their beloved mothers behind, relying on each other as they make the dangerous journey from Guatemala to the U. S. This fast-paced novel provides a heartbreakingly brutal look at just some of the dangerous realities faced by many. The circumstances that lead them to leave everything they love behind are replaced by different, equally harsh situations once they arrive in a place they thought would provide safety. Sanchez's insightful descriptions of the characters' thoughts and feelings, as well as their desperation and hopelessness, will elicit empathy in young readers. Short chapters filled with suspense and heartache will keep teens turning the pages to find out what happens to the trio. VERDICT A candid, realistic story that will leave readers thinking about the characters--and about our own world--long after the last page. Perfect for young adult collections in school and public libraries.--Selenia Paz, Harris County Public Library, Houston
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
This powerful novel by Sanchez (Because of the Sun) follows three teenagers fleeing the violence, danger, and poverty of Puerto Barrios, the Guatemalan home they simultaneously love and hate. Stirred by renewed fear of local gang leader Rey, the close-knit trio decides to make the perilous, punishing journey through the deserts of Central America to Mexico, where they can jump the freight train known as La Bestia, "an enormous steel centipede groaning and hissing to life, its power vibrating through the ground," which they hope will deliver them to the United States. Seventeen-year-old Pequeña is desperate to escape marriage to Rey, whose son she has just borne; 15-year-old Pugla and his de facto brother, Chico, 13, have witnessed a murder. The journey ends differently for each of the three, realistically representing the variety of outcomes that refugees can experience and building a profound understanding of why so many people are driven to risk their lives in search of an uncertain future. A devastating read that is difficult to put down, this unforgettable book unflinchingly illuminates the experiences of those leaving their homes to seek safety in the United States. Ages 14-up. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan Agency. (May)■
Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
A BookPage Best Book of 2020!
A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best of 2020!
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2020!
A New York Public Library 2020 Top 10 Best Book for Teens! "A fierce and tender story . . . Relevant, timely, and perceptive." —Margarita Engle, winner of the Pura Belpre Award and Newbery Honor "With poignant, exhausting lyricism and heart wrenching poetic prose, Jenny Torres Sanchez digs deep and shows us the throbbing, aching corazón—the hopeful, unbreakable spirit of the embattled immigrant. A book for the starving, lost soul." —Guadalupe García McCall, Pura Belpré Award-winning author of Under the Mesquite
"An incredibly powerful, soul-searing YA. [I]mportant and necessary.... I could not put this book down." —Padma Venkatraman, award-winning author of The Bridge Home We Are Not From Here is one of the most relevant and needed young adult novels of the year, a must-read. —Jennifer Mathieu, critically acclaimed author of The Liars of Mariposa Island and Moxie An achingly beautifully story...masterfully told...Jenny Torres Sanchez is a true leader within young adult fiction. —Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of The Red Umbrella
"We Are Not From Here is absolutely stunning. It's raw and real, gritty and gorgeously told. A story that's painfully relevant today, and told with such precision and beauty, you can feel it. It's breathtaking and left me absolutely breathless. —Lauren Gibaldi, author of This Tiny Perfect World
"We Are Not From Here is a book that will mark your heart. Jenny Torres Sanchez challenges us to feel, empathize and understand. A searing, necessary and ultimately beautiful book." —Alexandra Villasante, critically acclaimed author of The Grief Keeper * A brutally honest, not-to-be-missed narrative...gripping, heart-wrenching, and thrilling." —Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW * A stunning, visceral, and deeply moving read. —BookPage, STARRED REVIEW
YAF058100 - Young Adult Fiction | Social Themes | Emigration & Immigration
YAF014000 - Young Adult Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
