Fiction
Ballantine Books
2015-01-20
288
A childless woman looking to adopt crosses paths with a 13-year-old Honduran girl who has embarked on a dangerous journey into Texas with her brother. By the author of How to Be Lost.
Review:
“The Same Sky” is an intense book told in the stark voices of two narrators, a girl from Honduras named Carla, and a woman from America named Alice. The two stories combine to make a haunting novel that will, hopefully, forever remain in the mind of the reader.
Alice, while she can be somewhat of annoying character, is a good representation of middle-class America. Her family has its own struggles and deal with the inability to have children. She and her husband run a small family business and live comfortably within their own bubble until the poverty that surrounds them becomes a part of their lives. I liked this subplot of the book, as it was a good example of the fact that poverty exists, quite literally, in our own backyards.
The story of Carla is eye-opening and disturbing. Her life in her village is vividly described, illustrating some of the many reasons people of all ages choose to risk the journey to the United States. I had no idea the trip is as difficult as it is, and I may have nightmares about it for quite some time.
I highly recommend “The Same Sky”. It brings a deep understanding to the struggles of others who share our world, and it sheds light on the reasons many illegal immigrant children are arriving at our borders alone. It is my hope that we can all come together to help others in need with this book in the backs of our minds. I know it will remain in mine.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
While I do not typically write content warnings for adult books, please be aware that there is rape, child, and drug abuse in this book.
