Long Journeys

The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of an American Life

By Laura Markham

4 stars

Ernesto and Raul Flores fled the gang violence in El Salvador for a better life in Oakland, California with their brother, Wilber, who had been living in the United States illegally for several years.  This is both a very personal story of teenage twins and the bigger story of unaccompanied minors entering illegally from the southern border.  Ernesto and Raul made a dangerous journey to cross the border, and once in the United States their life became mired in other unforeseen difficulties.  The author worked with the twins at the Oakland International school and got to know them, their court case and their family story.  This is a well-told and nuanced account even though the Flores twins don’t always make the best choices (they are teenagers, regardless of circumstances), she writes of them with empathy and open mindedness.  At times, I felt that their story veered a bit too uncomfortably personal and many of the intimate details of the teenagers life probably weren’t absolutely necessary.  Overall, though, I think this is a timely book and one that explores the reasons that someone may flee their country and the difficulties that persist once they do enter the U.S.  I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.