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amd2001's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Please read this book. I don’t have the words to describe how tragically beautiful this book was, please read it.
angelicambrent's review
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
heidi920's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
thechanelmuse's review
On the heels of 15-year-old Talia breaking out of a correctional facility run by nuns in the mountains of Colombia, Infinite Country takes an intimate look at a mixed-status family separated for decades between Bogotá, Colombia and the U.S., who endure the twists and turns of the choices they make in hopes of refuge.
This multi-layered literary novel is under 200 pages and packs the punch, reading like nonfiction and showing the effects of criminalizing and/or stripping away the humanity from people in various situations, relegating them to an "other" or seeing through them altogether. Patricia Engel beautifully adds sprinkles of allegory through carried Andean mythology throughout. Sometimes all we have left is the stories we retain to get us through.
This multi-layered literary novel is under 200 pages and packs the punch, reading like nonfiction and showing the effects of criminalizing and/or stripping away the humanity from people in various situations, relegating them to an "other" or seeing through them altogether. Patricia Engel beautifully adds sprinkles of allegory through carried Andean mythology throughout. Sometimes all we have left is the stories we retain to get us through.
giugiufio's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
keatynbergsten's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was one of those short books that felt like the author found the sweet spot of telling a story in a beautiful concise way without anything extra. A heartbreaking story of a family torn apart for years by American immigration policy and the lengths they go to remain a family and get back together. I found this novel particularly interesting having read Jonathan Blitzer’s nonfiction book “Everyone Who is Gone Is Here” earlier in the year where he covers the migration crisis in great detail through investigative journalism.
elnechnntt's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
fromthegarden's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
jr2234's review against another edition
4.0
Very good.
Infinite Country depicts a Colombian family occupying two different countries. As Elena and two children continue life in the United States, Mauro and the third child live in Colombia alongside Elena’s mother, Perla.
The story is one of heartbreak and resiliency and details the daily reality of undocumented individuals in the United States. Engel explores the difficulties of hard decisions. I felt for the characters who were tasked with making impossible choices: choices where no path was better and each path came with its own set of obstacles.
The writing was straightforward while overflowing with emotion and depth.
Infinite Country depicts a Colombian family occupying two different countries. As Elena and two children continue life in the United States, Mauro and the third child live in Colombia alongside Elena’s mother, Perla.
The story is one of heartbreak and resiliency and details the daily reality of undocumented individuals in the United States. Engel explores the difficulties of hard decisions. I felt for the characters who were tasked with making impossible choices: choices where no path was better and each path came with its own set of obstacles.
The writing was straightforward while overflowing with emotion and depth.