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Writer's pictureOlisa Okigbo

We Are Not From Here

Title: We are not from here

Author: Jenny Torres Sanchez

Genre: Historical Fiction







Pulga, a 15-year-old boy, grew up in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, with his close friends, Chico and Pequeña. Chico is like a brother to him, living with Pulga and his mother since his own mother's tragic death. Due to their mothers ' friendship, Pulga sees Pequeña, who is 17, as a cousin. Pulga has been studying the migrant route to the United States and has prepared maps and funds for a potential escape. However, their lives take a dangerous turn when they witness a murder by Rey Villa, a criminal who forces them to become his unwilling accomplices. Pequeña, who Rey impregnated, decides they must run away to avoid his control. Pulga buys three bus tickets, and they secretly flee to protect themselves from Rey.


Two bus rides take them to Tecún Umán, crossing Rio Suchiate into Mexico. At a migrant shelter, they learn about the dangers of boarding La Bestia, a series of trains heading north. After traveling in vans past immigration checkpoints, they join other migrants waiting to board the train. Successfully getting on, they are cautious but faced with armed kidnappers and jump off while the train is in motion. One of them, Chico, gets injured and requires care from an aid worker named Soledad. Pequeña adopts the name Flor, and Pulga urges them to keep moving. After escaping more trains, Chico's health deteriorates, leading to a fatal accident. A priest convinces Pulga to bury Chico in a local graveyard. Pequeña persuades Pulga to continue their journey, and they eventually reach Altar, facing challenges with dishonest individuals. They find refuge in a church and receive help before seeking assistance at a local shelter. Pequeña arranges for a coyote to guide them across the desert to the border, paying with an engagement ring from Rey.


Pulga, Pequeña, and a group of migrants follow the coyote for two nights, resting in the shade during the day. On the third night, Pulga gives up. Pequeña cannot convince him to continue, and they are left behind. Eventually, Pulga falls unconscious due to dehydration in the desert. When they try to walk again, they are found by border patrol agents. Pulga collapses once more, but Pequeña manages to run away. She survives the night and is rescued by Marta, Soledad's sister, near a road the next day. Pequeña speaks with her mother by phone, and her mother helps arrange Pulga's rescue. Pulga is taken to a migrant detention center, feeling hopeless and traumatized until his deceased father's sister in the US takes guardianship of him. With her support, Pulga begins to feel a glimmer of hope and life returning to his heart.



I liked the book because it showed readers what kids in Guatemala have to go through. Jenny Torres Sanchez wrote the book very well and did an excellent job making it very emotional and exciting for the readers. If you read this book and you liked it, you should try reading these books.

We are not free by Traci Chee

Borderless by Jennifer De Leon

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