Tolog Review: Enrique's Journey

Enrique's Journey
by Sonia Nazario
reviewed by Marta Maynes 

Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario tells the astonishing story of a young Honduran boy on his journey to find his mother. Nazario transports readers to corrupt Central America, where she follows a boy named Enrique and narrates his unimaginable odyssey to reconnect with his mother in the United States. Like the majority of the immigrants traveling north and south through Mexico, Enrique must be a quick learner; he must master the art of riding atop trains, learn to hide from ‘la migra’, the cruel migration officers, learn how to beg for food, water, and shelter, and most importantly, never give up on reaching his destination. 

Enrique must face many perilous dangers during his journey to the United States. He not only encounters the dangerous, “train of death” (Nazario), but also ruthless bandits and gangs who rob Enrique of the few pesos he carries. In addition, migrants run the risk of, “get raped or murdered” (Nazario). Enrique learns that he needs to be brave, confident, and clever to survive his treacherous odyssey to his ‘promise land’ where he and his mother will finally be reunited after 11 long years. 

The Pulitzer Prize winner, Sonia Nazario, addresses the everyday struggles of immigrants looking to escape their economic and personal hardships in Enrique’s Journey. Nazario tells her story as if she were alongside Enrique. With her style of writing, readers feel more connected to the story and feel like they are in Enrique’s shoes, struggling along with him. Nazario’s vivid details and stories really make readers stop and reflect and realize how similar they are to the immigrants. Often, the media dehumanizes these migrants, but Sonia Nazario puts real faces to the many migrants struggling to reach their new beginnings. Nazario opens readers eyes and hearts to witness the grueling challenges faced by the immigrants traveling through Mexico to reach their personal ‘promise lands’.