Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for this copy of Infinite Country by Patricia Engel.

Infinite Country is the story of a family and their twists and turns of moving from Colombia to the United States. Engel’s poetic writing shows that the road to the “American Dream” is raw, real, unique and heartbreaking.

This story is poetic when capturing the beauty and curiosity that Mauro and Elena had in Colombia. It is poetic in describing the struggling that faces the characters in a new land. A land that was supposed to be filled with opportunities but brought many hardships and loss.

All characters, both major and minor shine as individuals with their own experiences and versions of the life that was destined for them. They are resilient and their growth is uplifting. They represent many people who I have come in contact with in my own life and stories I have come across. “I wish I could see it again, but that’s that thing about being paperless. This country locks you in until it locks you out.”

This book should be read by masses. It should be read as literature in classes around the country. Infinite Country represents so many that come to America with hopes and dream only to be dealt one bad hand after another, yet still have the determination and fight to wake up each day and grow roots in an unknown land. But “something is always lost; even when we are the ones migrating, we end up being occupied.”

Infinite Country is a beautifully written novel by Patricia Engel. It is a story that will stay with me forever. I am excited to recommend, talk about and reread this book over and over again.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Patricia Engel has a gift to turn everyday life experiences into magnificent stories.

Infinite Country is a story of a family separated by poverty and hard fast rules of immigration. It was a relatable narrative that every immigrant had experienced in some way, shape, or form. The 191 pages of the novel are full of Andean myths that make you reminiscent of your grandmother's version, familial relationships, and the unfortunate reality of being an undocumented American.

Engel gave us a narrative that spans through a lifetime in a compact novel. Her artistry and skill as a writer are undeniable. There is finesse in the layering of sentences that painted a 4- dimensional story. It would be effortless for the reader to identify and invest in her characters.

Infinite Country provides a glimpse of a life that America tries to neglect and ignore. Patricia Engel allowed every page of her book to soar and touch its reads hearts.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press an imprint of Simon and Schuster for the advance copy of the book.

What a beautiful book that captivated me right from the very start. I really liked Engel's shifts between the past and present as readers followed this saga of a family separated by borders and immigration. This book is so relatable for us immigrants/children of immigrants who have had to deal with borders and customs and all the emotions tied to it. What a heartbreaking reality for many. Books like this are necessary for humanity and I hope it gets all the recognition it so deserves.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avid Reader Press, for the eARC and privilege to read this wonderful book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for this advanced copy. This is my first read from Patricia Engel and but I absolutely plan to read the rest of her collection after finishing Infinite Country. While this work may be fiction, stories like Mauro and Elena’s happen every day in this country and are heartbreaking. I loved Talia’s story and if I were in her shoes, I would have kicked that guy’s behind, no doubt!

As a note, this novel is an example of something everyone in this country needs to read. Set aside American Dirt, written by a white women who knows nothing of the struggles of immigration in the US. Find authors like Patricia Engel and listen to their voices.

Infinite Country follows the lives of Elena and Mauro and their innocent love as teenagers amidst the backdrop of a violence-weary nation of Colombia. Elena’s life is one of loneliness--her life before meeting Mauro revolved around that of her mother and her mother’s lavanderia. Mauro provides Elena with mystery and much-needed companionship. As their relationship blossoms, Mauro and Elena decide to travel to the US with no definite plan for the future. Their family grows to include two daughters and a son. The family fights to make it in their new country, but is faced with a multitude of challenges in post 9/11 America--racism, xenophobia, poverty. As the family comes to find out, America is not the utopia they imagined it to be,

“...every nation in the Americas had a hidden history of internal violence. It just wore different masks, carried different weapons, and justified itself with different stories.”

Mauro is pulled over and deported back to Colombia. Unable to find adequate care for her youngest daughter, Elena must make the difficult decision to send her to Colombia to be raised by her mother and father. Despite the challenges of international borders and bureaucracy, the story is one of hope and love--a family’s fight to stay together. I am glad I picked this one up. I consider it to be a must-read for this year.

“I’ve had borders drawn around me all my life, but I refuse to live as a bordered person. I hate the term ‘undocumented.’ It implies people like my mother and me don’t exist without a paper trail. I have a drawer full of diaries and letters ... that will prove to anyone that I am very real, most definitely documented. ... Don’t tell me I’m undocumented when my name is tattooed on my father’s arm.” - Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

Family. Freedom. Borders. Loss. Love. Patricia Engel, the daughter of Colombian parents, authentically addresses these topics in only 200 pages in Infinite Kingdom. The novel explores the heartbreaking results when US immigration policies impact a three-generation Colombian-American family. The author asks the difficult question: What sacrifices would you endure to improve the lives of your loved ones?
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It was especially meaningful to read this novel after reading "The Line Becomes a River" by Francisco Cantu last month. I will think of Mauro, Elena, and their family when I hear immigration stories on the news. Thanks to Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for the gifted egalley; all thoughts are my own.

Patricia Engel beautifully tells the story of a Colombian family's love that, quite literally, knows no boundaries. More specifically, it tells the story of a couple's legal immigration to the U.S. and the hardships that follow once they become "illegal." Throughout this novel, Elena and Mauro raise their three children together (and then apart) and test the limits of their relationship through alcoholism, deportation, sexual assault, and loss.

Though this novel is rather barebones, never really diving into a great amount of detail about deportation, immigration, or the difficulty of living in America "without papers," we know enough to understand the story. This leaves space for Engel to focus on the narrative and really pull at your heartstrings, highlighting the enormous sacrifices parents will make to protect their children. Most importantly, Engel's novel humanizes immigrants and will leave you angry and frustrated with America's broken system. (As if most of us aren't already...)

Though some may find the lack of detail insufficient and the sudden switching of narrators to be jarring, I don't think it detracts from the novel as a whole. The story still reads chronologically, and the glimpses of the past further the emotional connection to the characters. There is also something to be said about the tone with which Engel writes the children raised in America; their stories lack the passion, empathy, and grit that we only find in those who spent all or part of their lives in Colombia.

As an added bonus, the plot is creatively interwoven with Andean myths of jaguars, snakes, and condors, which leaves ample room for metaphorical interpretation.

I highly recommend this as an alternative to "the book that must not be named" about immigration from South America to the United States.

A powerful, important and impactful story of a family with mixed citizenship status split between Columbia and the United States. In a relatively short amount of pages the author provides an intricate look at immigration: the struggles of a family being separated, and the sacrifices and hardships of undocumented workers. This family and their experiences will stay with me, I found their story heartbreaking, yet hopeful.

Mauro and Elena with their baby daughter Karina decided to go to the US as tourist thinking that it will give them a better life and so many opportunities. The struggles and hardships of just making an honest living are taking a toll on their relationship. And when two more children comes along Nandi and Talia, born in the US and making them citizens, life becomes hard. When Mauro is caught and deported back to Columbia, Elena is left with three small children and she is burden in making a decision that will change and mark them forever.

This book, though fiction, is different from the other books that I read on undocumented immigrants but I am sure the story will resonate to a lot of people. As with most cases of being undocumented, there will always be abuse, racism and hate. The story gives voice to Mauro and Elena as well as their three children, Karina, Nando and Talia. Each has their own story to tell and views on how to make of their existence. The story takes place in Colombia and the US and with their mixed status complicates things. When every decision affects each family member, every dream hinders their relationships and when hope is the only one that keeps them going. The borders that separate them and the papers that define them as a person make one think if all of these are even worth staying in the country that “kept everyone hostage to its fantasy.”

The cover of the book depict the condor, jaguar and the snake, originally planned as title of the book. How the the author incorporates the Andean mythology and Colombia’s history in this less than 200pages book makes it all more worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing the e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion. Pub date - March 2, 2021.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press for the ebook. In just over two hundred pages this book feels like an epic of one family. Parents Mauro and Elena and their children, Karina, Nando and Talia, spanning through both Columbia and America. The book opens with Talia breaking out of a juvenile correctional facility in the mountains of Columbia and her arduous journey back to her father in Bogota, who has a plane ticket for Talia to join her mother and two siblings who are living illegally in America. From this thrilling start we weave back through time and spend extended time with each of the characters as we learn their origins, how they deal with and love each other when together and apart and what it means to have one foot in a new country and another in the country of your birth. This book is so entertaining, but somehow never shies away from hard questions, both asked of themselves and about the world of immigration today.

This book was perfect. I have no feedback to give other than to say that I’m in awe of the author’s ability to pack so much emotion and depth into such a small package. I’ll be recommending this book to everyone I know.

5/5 stars

Inifinite Country was such a timely and memorable story. This book is beautifully written and I love how the doctor interweaves multiple perspectives sharing this powerful and necessary story.

Infinite Country is a multi generational family saga about a Colombian family with mixed citizenship status. The story is told through different family members perspectives, time periods, and Andean mythology. I loved it

A brief but thought-provoking glimpse into the effects of immigration, deportation, and separation on a family.

𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 is an empassioned and powerful story about a family split by borders and their individual attempts to find belonging.

Engel portrays the story of survivial of being undocumented in the U.S. but also the burden on immediate family members who are documented when others are not. She does so with compassion and insight. It is beautifully told from multiple prospectives and well-paced. The characters feel like real people.

𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 is an important book that will make your heart hurt. My only critique is that it did not have quite enough story for me. I generally am not keen on books that are only family drama and focus on relationships. I like a lot of plot along with character development. But that is totally a personal preference. That being said, I know so many people will love this book with their whole heart. It deserves every bit of praise that will hopefully come its way.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think this story is crucial to fully understanding the immigrant story and struggle. I encourage everyone to read it.

I didn't care for this one. The narration felt very YA, expository, as well as all over the place, jumping between perspectives. I would recommend for middle-high schoolers.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel tells the story of a family tossed between worlds and divided by borders. But, it also tells a family that stays glued together, in the ways that they can, over the years that seemingly stretch them apart. This book had me totally transported and more emotional upon finishing than I realized while reading it. It feels like I held my breath the entire last chapter.

The strongest and most unique element of this book are the bits of Andean mythology that are inserted into this story almost as a separate perspective. Parts of this follow different characters, some chapters are told in third person, others in first person, and it could be hard to follow or get established in. However, the offering of these myths and stories as allegories for a character’s true feelings or the root of a situation being discussed was brilliant. It kept me engaged and emotionally invested in a way I probably wouldn’t have been able to without the presence of the myths.

I do wish Engel leaned into just one or two characters than all five members of this family. We follow a couple of different storylines and perspectives that grow the further we get, but for a book so short I think it would have benefitted from being a little more focused. I felt really connected to Talia, the youngest daughter whose story the book opens with, and Mauro, the father who gets the most content by way of those Andean myths. However, I struggled to understand Elena, Mauro’s wife and Talia’s mother, despite following her story for a large portion of the book. She always felt like a character kept an arm’s length. We get a couple of chapters each from the family’s other two children, Karina and Nando, which I felt were extremely strong, but just misplaced. It was hard to snap between all five in less than 300 pages.

That being said, the way this story encompasses the family as a whole, and tells of both their separations and togetherness was strong. I think the real message of this book, which Engel writes herself, is that when it comes to migration there are no wrong or right choices. You feel the weight of every decision that Mauro and Elena and Talia make in this, and it doesn’t ever feel like there’s a clear path for them. It brings to light the reality of so many people who are stuck in limbo yearning for a life with their family, where they are safe, wherever that may be.

Infinite Country is heartfelt and honest, and with Engel’s unique weaving of Andean storytelling, really stands on its own two feet. It doesn’t mask its characters to make us feel for them. It doesn’t romanticize Colombia nor the United States. It just presents this family and their lives, and leaves it to us to welcome them home. 3.5 from me.

CW: deportation, sexual assault, xenophobia

Thank you NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for review.

I’d like to thank Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for gifting me an eArc.
All opinions are, of course, my own.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel is a beautifully tragic story that centers around a Colombian family and the lifelong effects of immigration to the United States.

The story shifts between past and present and gives a deep look into what it means for a family to immigrate to a new country for a better life. Is life really better?

As many families unfortunately know, this family knows the reality of undocumented life in America and the heartbreak of a family separated by borders.

Engel takes the reader through every emotion with her elegantly written prose and a family’s emotional journey. All within 200 pages, proving that great things come in small packages.

—Thank you to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book I’m exchange for an honest review. —

"People say drugs and alcohol are the greatest and most persuasive narcotics—the elements most likely to ruin a life. They're wrong. It's love."

Family is everything. That’s the priority we teach our kids and it’s the foundation on which lifelong and cross-generational loyalties are built. It’s through this lens which the reader is able to hope and cheer for the protagonists: a mixed-status, divided Colombian family searching for a better future - one that might be in the United States.

The book opens with Talia's cross-country journey and juxtaposes her story with another of her parents' early romance and her family’s years of struggle and strife. For any reader who prioritizes family, it will be hard to fight back tears in some scenes that muster feelings of pride, heartache, loneliness, and togetherness.

Still, the lessons about family, humanity, and love framed by the author in this book are what moved me most...

—“Talia considered how people who do horrible things can be victims, and how victims can be people who do horrible things”

—“Only women knew the strength it took to love men through their evolution to who they thought they were supposed to be...”

—“...love comes paired with failures, apologies for deficiencies. The only antidote is compassion.”



++Trigger warning: sexual assault++

This is a story of immigration and family. It has some very tough scenes which were very hard to read. It is a heartbreaking book. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.