Today is World Refugee Day and this memoir is precisely why we need this day to raise awareness.

This book is a harrowing, first hand account of a Guatemalan mother forced seek asylum with two of her young sons. The violence, the danger, and lack of resources at home left her little choice but to set out on a dangerous journey to seek refuge in the US - only be detained and to have her young sons ripped from her arms at a detention center in Arizona.

I don’t review memoirs in the same way I review other books. But the writing in this book paints a very clear picture of the life Rosy fled, the reasons for seeking asylum, and her subsequent, and quite honestly, inhumane experience in my own country.

This is a must read #ownvoices memoir. Thank you to @netgalley for the gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review and also @harperonebooks for the finished copy.

I have to say first of all that I was put off by the audiobook narrator being an American speaking woman with no accent. It didn't feel authentic. Once I got over that, I was able to submerse myself in the story and it was intense. I found myself speaking out loud while listening, saying WOW over and over as I was amazed by the turn of events. As an American women with little knowledge of seeking asylum, I was gutted to learn about the experiences Rosy and countless other women have endured in an effort to save their children and themselves. I was also inspired by the efforts of American volunteers and organizations that pay legal fees and costs for housing and travel, to reunite families who are separated at the border. The writing is fairly simple, which makes it go quickly. It's an important book, as it gives a first person narrative to the horrors people face in Guatemala and Mexico, violence and trauma, and why they are willing to risk everything to get to the United States. I felt I understood before, but not on such an emotional, visceral level as I do now. I think it's also important to show that there are people (Americans) working hard to help those in need of asylum who are suffering because of the atrocious policies in place. I recommend this book, but caution it is a heavy, difficult read.

4⭐
I had the privilege of reading an amazing book! The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border by Rosayra Pablo Cruz and Julie Schwietart Callazo. This is the true story of a woman who took a huge risk (twice) to get to this country in hopes of having a better life. Her story is amazing, heart wrenching, frustrating, appalling, hopeful, scary and sad. It is told from two perspectives, one by Rosy herself and one by Julie.... Julie started a fundraising campaign to post bond money to free these women who were seeking asylum in this country. No matter what your stand is on immigration, I implore you to read this book. The old adage applies here...Before you judge a man/woman walk a mile in his/her shoes.

The Book of Rosy is an unforgettable story! This book continues to stay with me well after reading! I appreciated receiving an ARC of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review. If you have not read this book, grab it now!

A insightful look into a relevant and important issue in America today. It felt personal yet comprehensive at the same time, giving readers a look into the point of view of one, simultaneously giving us a better understanding of the broader issue of separation of families at the American borders. To hear of Rosy’s personal struggles firsthand, the reasons she fled to America in the first place, the terrible conditions, and the difficult journey that followed, (hopefully) will help readers empathize with the humans behind these stories we hear of in the news, and give them insight into a life that seems unthinkable. It was difficult to read but important.

The Book of Rosy is a captivating memoir about a mother fleeing Guatemala, with her two sons, to seek asylum in the US. No matter your stance on immigration, seeing a mother separated from her children, tugs at the heart strings. I appreciated this raw look into the border detention centers and how the current 'zero tolerance' policy dehumanizes immigration.

The book is told from two perspectives. One, the mother, Rosayra Pablo Cruz, who is immediately detained, and separated from her children upon crossing the US/Mexico border. The other, of Julie Collazo, the founder of the non-profit, Immigration Families Together. It highlights Rosayra's journey along the Migrant Trail and how, with the help of Julie and many other selfless people, she is able to be reunited with her children.

Thank You Rosayra and Julie for sharing your stories, and Thank You HarperOne and NetGalley for the free ARC.

The Book of Rosy is an eye opening story filled with grit, determination and faith. Rosayra does an amazing job telling her story and sharing her experience. There’s a lot to unpack here about the treatment of other people and so it made parts of the book upsetting to read but it’s important to see the uncomfortable parts about what is happening at our borders. This book is a wonderful reminder about the power we each have to step up in times of injustices. As we try to amplify own voice authors and educate ourselves on the challenges other people face, I would say please give this book a shot.

Thank you to #Netgalley #HarperCollinsPublishers #HarperOne for the early review copy of this book.
I have read American Dirt and given all the controversy surrounding that book's release, I felt as though reading an #ownvoices story of immigration from Mexico or in this case, Central America, would be a good counter-balance. A sort of check to my response to AD and the issues raised.
Personally, although there are some similarities in the topics, this is a more personal story in my opinion than AD. I appreciated the chapters told from Rosayra"s perspective. These detailed the reasons for needing to flee Guatemala and the experiences she and her children faced in this process. She emphasizes the fact that no one chooses to flee their home country lightly. This is a difficult and courageous choice for those in need of protection for themselves and their children. Then to be met at the border, first by compassionate men and women doing the job of Border Patrol and then the second time, by the opposite response. Her faith is inspiring and I hope continues to grow.
Julie's contribution of telling the story from an activist side of the picture and how she and others were able to quickly put this community of helpers in place is also an interesting and inspiring part of this book. The vast network that Julie was able to put together is impressive. There are also websites and other information at the end of the book that tells readers how they can help if they are interested.
Thank you to both of these women for the powerful voices and this truly incredible story.
#TheBookofRosy #Netgalley

I have mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand, Rosy lived through the hell that this country unleashed on her when she came to the US seeking asylum and hearing her story in her own words is powerful. On the other hand, there were three chapters written by the woman who founded Immigrant Families Together, Julie Schwietert Collazo. I’m not taking away from everything she has done, but the way these chapters were written—how many times does one need to remind her readers she used to be a social worker???—felt the literary equivalent to photos white college students post of their “mission trip” to Africa. Not only was she far too self-congratulatory, but she hijacked Rosy’s story. I understand that IFT was an essential part of Rosy’s life, but I feel like we could have simply had a short explanation of how the organization came to be and how they help reunite families in an epilogue. Overall, Julie’s chapters felt like they had a hint of white saviorism. By hint, I mean the lid wasn’t fully tightened on the jar when she went to sprinkle some into her chapters.

I am not very comfortable giving a star rating for this one, even though I am. I think everyone should read Rosy’s story. I think Julie’s chapters should have been cut or at least heavily edited and while I recommend this book, I would tell others to skip her chapters; they don’t add anything essential and they pull too much focus from Rosy’s words.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for access to this title.

Rosy had to make a tough decision, stay in Guatemala amidst the violence or flee to the United States to hopefully make a better life for her children's futures. Rosy decides to come North and knows that it is not going to be an easy journey, but she finally makes it to Arizona, completely exhausted, starving and dehydrated. Instead of being able to enjoy the victory of succeeding in reaching what she thought would be a safer future for her children, she is forcibly separated from her children by U.S. government officials. The author doesn't hold back when describing the inhumane conditions that the detention centers are in or the subpar care that detainees receive. Thankfully, Immigrant Families Together was able to intervene and assist Rosy. This book should be read by everyone in America, so that we are more informed about what is going on in our Country. I was appalled with what I read. We can and should do better for refugees.

Hearing Rosy's story really helped me understand the daily lives of people, especially women, living in Central America and the reasons that they risk a harrowing and expensive journey to the United States. The decisions Rosy makes to protect herself and her family each day are literally life and death. There is so little we are doing, especially under the current administration, to protect women like Rosy and make them feel safe when they are arrive to the United States when they have been unsafe for so long. I liked hearing Rosy's story from her own voice and learning more about the children's experiences. While I appreciate Collazo's perspective and hearing how she started her work fighting for immigrant women, I thought it took away from hearing about Rosy's story. Overall, I would really recommend this book for those seeking to learn more about Central American migration to the United States.

This book is so important and a must read!

It just came out June 2nd, so please go grab yourself a copy and read about Rosayra’s story about immigrating from Guatemala to the United States with her children and being separated from them at the boarder.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperOne for a free galley copy.
I am so glad I requested this book and got accepted to read it.

Since the first chapter, I was immediately hooked and wanted to read more about Rosayra’s journey.
I am so in love with this book, with Rosayra’s story and experience of leaving her country, hoping for a better future for herself and her children in the United States, being separated for her children, praying to God every night to be reunited with them, her journey back to them, and her will to help the other mothers in the detention centers.
So in love with Julie’s work in helping immigrant families.

The book is divided into three parts.
With each part we understand more about Rosayra's and her children's journey to the United States. Julie's experience with helping mothers who were separated from their children at the border by creating the Immigrant Families Together, raising money for families with the help of so many, and coming into Rosayra’s life. The reader listens to Rosayra's voice, listens to an immigrant's story.
I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars on here (in my mind it is).
I loved how it provided us with recommended reading and ways to help. I will make sure to donate, read all the books recommended at the end of the book. (I will list them on my goodreads and add them to my tbr right away. I will also list the books and website to donate on my Instagram post as soon as I can.)

I will never forget about Rosayra’s story and will reread this book many times in the future.
I am mad at the system, sad, and so scared for these families.
We need to keep changing this system and helping others have a better life.
We can all do this together, one action at a time.

Thank you so much Rosayra for writing this book and for Julie for doing so much for immigrant mothers and families.

***If you've read American Dirt go read this book! Read a true story about an immigrant's woman and her children. If you haven't read it, please read this book instead.***

Off to buy the physical copy now, ok bye:)
(you need to do so too!)

I'm not sure that I'm equipped to review someone else's story like this, and all I can say is that I wish it were longer. I completely blew through Rosayra's and Julie's words, which I did not anticipate since it covers complex traumatic events and experiences. Reading their stories was more valuable than I can put into words right now, and if I can find better-suited words later I will come back and edit this. Do yourself a favor and put this book on your TBR list, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum.

Painful and heart-wrenching, this book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the difficult lives Guatemalans face in their home country that force them to make the trek and cross over to the United States. Rosy’s personal account of the trials she faced in Guatemala, her journey to United States, her time in a ICE detention center, her forced separation from her children, continued detainment, and more, is beautifully written yet difficult to read. The story is so well thought-out and outlined in such a way that creates a well-rounded and complete picture. This is an inspirational must-read about hope and faith, determination in the face of extreme opposition, and the amazing community that has rallied around these women and families who have suffered from “zero-tolerance” policies.

NetGalley gave me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"The Book of Rosy" tells the harrowing true story of Rosayra Pablo Cruz, who flees Guatemala with her two sons to seek asylum in the United States only to be separated from her children at the border and incarcerated by ICE.
Told through two parallel stories - Rosy's and that of Julie Schwietert Collazo, who created a group called Immigrant Families Together (IFT) - we see firsthand how two mothers' lives become intertwined due to pain and trauma and how together they overcome it.

The sections of the memoir written by Rosy explain her background growing up poverty-stricken in the increasingly dangerous country of Guatemala. She and her family endure the unthinkable and yet she still finds the strength and resilience to hope for something better for her children. Her writing is visceral - I was especially moved by this description of the dangerous journey to cross the border: "My heart breaks when I think about all the losses that have occurred along the Migrant Highway, each story that will be remembered only by the person who suffered it. If these losses were identified by tombstones, the whole highway would be lined by an unbroken chain of marble or humble markers. 'Here lies a woman's virginity.' 'Rest in eternal peace, stillborn infant.' 'RIP HOPE.' The memorials of pain would be so poignant that you'd have to look away."

Once in the United States, Rosy recounts her detainment and separation from her children. She had crossed the border once before, prior to the implementation of the Trump zero-tolerance policies, and the contrast to the treatment she received then is stark and eye-opening. It is clear that the for-profit detention center she is sent to is more focused on making money and depriving people of their rights and dignity than anything else and it's heartbreaking that we allow this mistreatment of anyone, but especially women and children. While she is incarcerated in Arizona, Rosy's sons are sent to live in foster care hundreds of miles away in New York and with no family in the U.S. or money to hire to a lawyer or pay her $12,000 bail, her future looks bleak.

Enter Julie, a Brooklyn mother and former social worker who is married to a Cuban immigrant and appalled by the Trump policies on separating families at the border. She decides one night she wants to do something about the situation and raises money to bail out one of the mothers in Rosy's detention center, helping to reunite her with her children and guide her through the asylum process. What seemed like a one-off idea is so successful that soon IFT is formed to help more mothers. Julie and her team of extremely effective volunteers tap into the collective outrage over the horrible treatment of these families by the administration and eventually Rosy's story comes to their attention via the attorney they work with, José Orochena, and she is bailed out and flown to New York to her sons.

That would seem like it should be the happy ending but it's not. Both Rosy and Julie continue to recount the generosity of New Yorkers who provided shelter, clothing and other forms of support to the family as they acclimate to their new lives. They share how hard it was for Rosy and the boys to find a semblance of normalcy again, even with the benefit of therapy. And Rosy's asylum petition, and those for her boys, must still be resolved, an arduous and expensive process which would determine whether they could stay in the United States or be forced to return to Guatemala.

This is a quick read - I finished it in a day - and worth every second. No matter where you land on the political spectrum, you should read this book to understand more about why people illegally cross into this country, what they risk to do so and how inhumanely they are treated if they get caught. You may be appalled by what people sacrifice to seek asylum and what they must endure at the hands of our government, but you'll also find hope in the kindness and dedication of people like Julie and all of those who reach out to help these families who want nothing more than to give their children a chance.

One last note - I read this book as the protests over George Floyd's murder were unfolding all over the country. While "The Book of Rosy" is about immigration, there were several passages that felt so relevant to all of the unrest, especially this one from a Rosh Hashanah sermon Rosy and Julie attended (both are Christian but a temple in Brooklyn was instrumental in helping Rosy once she was released): "'The barrage of things coming at us all at once is not going to let up soon,' Rabbi Kolin said. 'That is both the nature of life as well as this historical moment in which we are living. But in our own hands,' she continued, 'is the healing of our souls, our homes, and our world." It is clear from Rosy's story that making our world a better place is truly "in our hands" - "normal" people are the ones who stepped up and changed her life: a former DUI attorney with no immigration experience, a mother of three in Brooklyn who mobilized her friends, a congregation in Brooklyn who saw echoes of what their ancestors endured and wanted to help. If I take one thing from this book, it's that each one of us can make a difference and have no excuse not to try.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and the authors for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

What a timely book. Full disclosure: since we are in the middle of race riots and police brutality issues, this was an even harder book for me to read. I had a very hard time keeping my attention on this story at times, just because my mind kept drifting to everything that was going on right now. For that reason, and that reason alone, I had a hard time focusing on this book. But I was so touched by Rosy's story of being separated from her kids at the border. She was applying for asylum, which is NOT A CRIME. It is so awful that these mothers were separated from their children, not knowing where they are or when they would be reunited. I thought Rosy did a really good job of explaining life in Guatemala and why she made the choices she had made. She explained that she had no way of knowing what the new Trump policies were, but she also explained that even if she had known, she most likely would have still made the choices she did because of what her life was like and because of the danger surrounding her kids. And man, the journey from Guatemala to the US was no joke and it is obvious that people who do it feel like they have no choice. After Rosy arrived in US, the reader is introduced to an entire network of people who are dedicated to reuniting mothers when they can and helping them adapt to life in the States. This is such a moving story that is definitely worth the read.

Five beautiful, wonderful stars! I knew this was a book I had to read immediately when I went the description. So I want to thank Harper Collins & Netgalley for giving me an ARC!

I enjoyed that this was a firsthand account of what the conditions and living situation is like at the US/Mexican border. I loved the writing and found it to be so powerful. This isn't fiction. This is #ownvoices and real life of what Rosayra experienced. It shed light on something that I'm not familiar with and I think it's so important that this book helps many understand what is going at the border.

Reading this book, I experienced a wide range of emotions from empathy to angry to everything in between. This book is published this Tuesday and you must put it on your TBR!!!

I received a free electronic copy of this memoir from Netgalley, Rosayra Pablo Cruz, and publisher HarperCollins - Harper One. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this memoir of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I heartily encourage friends and family to read The Book of Rosy. This is an honest look into the policy of separation of families at the border being experienced by those refugees seeking political asylum in the United States. Many of us live just an hour to two from the border. This is happening at our back door.
I personally live just one hour from the international bridge at El Paso, Texas – Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua (El Paso-Juarez). We border locals do what we can - there are baskets at the exits to our local grocery stores for non-perishable food donations to this cause, and most of the thrift stores in this area would let you donate a box of solidly packed assorted clothing for $10. Of course, the Corona Virus has us currently shut-in and nothing is being recycled anywhere - and this problem of asylum seekers being separated and jailed has not shut down even during the pandemic. New Mexico has International bridges at Antelope Wells, New Mexico – El Berrendo; Chihuahua; Columbus, New Mexico – Palomas, Chihuahua; and Santa Teresa, New Mexico – San Jerónimo, Chihuahua. California has six border crossing areas and Texas and Arizona have many crossing areas so you can see that this is not a casual problem for us southwesterners, even in the best of times.

At this moment there are still many children removed from their families years ago who are 'lost' in the details. I cannot imagine how that could happen, but it has and is still a problem. For-Profit containment areas for these mothers and fathers are poorly run and inhumane for the most part and in many the virus is rampant. There is no such thing as social distancing in a prison environment. For example my New Mexico county of Otero has just 8 cases of the virus, with two deaths. Our jails, however have 79 confirmed cases at the county prison and 66 at the ICE processing center on the Texas border as of Friday, May 22.

We live in a world filled with refugees rampant on all continents. As a world, we have to learn how to settle these problems before they happen. I don't have the solution but a little reinspection of the works of Mandela and Gandhi come to mind as a pattern to emulate.

Please, read this book. Rosayra is only one of many abused by this system. And VOTE! Study your options well, and be first in line at the polls this fall. We do have a voice, at least in spirit, so do what you can, where you are, to bring humanity back to governments around the world.

This book was informative but told a story at the same time. It didn’t feel too much like a text book, even though a lot of new information was being sent my way. I chose to not finish it working 60% of the way through because it was starting to feel repetitive, and I was struggling to want to read and finish. I don’t want to ignore the experiences that Rosy went through, or the challenges she faced. In the end I am not sure the structure of the story worked for me.

The first hand account of a woman's journey to cross into the United States is so powerful. As a reader I felt so torn for her because what she left in Guatemala was unimaginable and the challenge she faced in the United States were unimaginable too (including the separation of her children). She was living in two worlds with two very different challenges. Julie's (the co-authors) perspective was so informative as to how her group was able to support women across the country and their reasons for raising the money to help strangers.
One of the biggest frustrations I felt for Rosy (and there were many) was when she was seeking asylum, the judge kept asking her about the police report in Guatemala. In all of the impossibleness of the situation she only had a few visible scars but the judge failed to take into account her mental state and how unsafe she must have been to leave other children behind. Her lack of control of the corruption of the police in Guatemala seemed to be all the judge wanted and that was so unfair.
The only negative of this book was that the timeline wasn't chronological and at times it was a bit confusing to follow which author was writing. I think a bit of a introduction or preface to share Julie's role in supporting Rosy while writing or vice versa would have been helpful to the reader.
This book is also a very good book for any reader that is not well versed in the immigrant challenges and reasons people may leave a country. It is also a reminder that life is still very hard once immigrants arrive to the United States. I appreciated this eye opening and raw account of Rosy's story and the harrowing support Julie (and many others) are able to provide.
Thank you to Netgalley for the electronic access to this book. I Had previously read a physical copy off the book, but Netgalley allowed me to read the updated Epilogue and followup on Rosy's journey.