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    The Guardians: A Novel
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    The Guardians: A Novel
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    The Guardians: A Novel
    Audiobook7 hours

    The Guardians: A Novel

    Published by Penguin Random House Audio

    3/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    From American Book Award-winning author Ana Castillo comes a suspenseful, moving new novel about a sensuous, smart, and fiercely independent woman.

    Eking out a living as a teacher's aide in a small New Mexican border town, Tía Regina is also raising her teenage nephew, Gabo, a hardworking boy who has entered the country illegally and aspires to the priesthood. When Gabo's father, Rafa, disappears while crossing over from Mexico, Regina fears the worst.

    After several days of waiting and an ominous phone call from a woman who may be connected to a smuggling ring, Regina and Gabo resolve to find Rafa. Help arrives in the form of Miguel, an amorous, recently divorced history teacher; Miguel's gregarious abuelo Milton; a couple of Gabo's gangbanger classmates; and a priest of wayward faith. Between the ruthless "coyotes" who exploit Mexicans while smuggling them to America and the border officials who are out to arrest and deport the illegal immigrants, looming threat is a constant companion on the journey.

    Ana Castillo brilliantly evokes the beautiful, stark desert landscape and creates vivid characters with strong voices and resilient hearts. The Guardians serves as a remarkable testament to enduring faith, family bonds, cultural pride, and the human experience.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateAug 7, 2007
    ISBN9781415943519
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for The Guardians

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    • 5/5
      The Guardians: A Novel by Ana CastilloOh my! How timely to read this view of our country's current Mexican immigration problems. I attended a book club discussion in Surfside lead by a CCU professor. She discussed and demonstrated the allegories in the book. None of us in the audience had realized them. The story followed Paradise Lost and Genesis. We noted names of the characters: Milton, the 4 archangels, Regina (queen). Many more allegories are there along with Padre Pio who is worth learning about. Reading just the surface story highlights drug problems, extreme poverty, trafficking, and more. I will reread this one. Even though it sounds depressing, it is not. The story is engaging. You'll need to accustom yourself to Spanglish, the mix of some Spanish and English words as you read. It becomes easier as you go to find the meaning in context clues.
    • 1/5
      Disliked this book intensely, although I was predisposed to like it since I live in New Mexico. I received it as part of the Early Reviewers program in 2007 and did review at that time. But I didn't want it to show in my library. Deleting it from my library also deleted the review, which I need to keep for the Early Reviewers Program. So I'm redoing it. I don't recommend the book, however.
    • 4/5
      I received this book through Early Reviewers on LT and was really excited! I also had a trip planned to New Mexico for the end of the summer, so it fit in perfectly. Except, it was a bit of a push to read it. I would enjoy it while I was reading it, but I could put it down and leave it for weeks, so I didn't actually finish it until I got home from my trip. I enjoyed the characters and the ending just broke my heart. The martyrdom of Gabo was not too much of a suprise, but I still grieved. Also, that you think it happened one way and then you find out no, no, it happened this way. I'm going to recommend it to one of my book clubs for this month. I think we'll get a good discussion out of it on forgiveness, mercy and family.
    • 4/5
      Ana Castillo’s new novel The Guardians is set against a landscape rich in history and culture yet torn apart by some of today’s biggest social dilemmas. The US-Mexican border towns of Cabuche and Juarez and the unforgiving desert that separates them are the backdrop for the story of Regina and her teenage nephew Gabriel and the search for Rafa – Regina’s brother, Gabo’s father - who has disappeared while illegally crossing the border. The search for Rafa leads to new friendships and crises and explores the effects that the trafficking of humans and drugs has on the lives of ordinary people. The narrative is told in the first-person by four characters: Regina, Gabriel, Miguel, and Miguel’s grandfather, Milton. Miguel, a teacher at the school where Regina works, becomes an ally, as does his grandfather. Regardless of the geography, the lives, hopes, dreams and fears of these four people are not only believable, but also easy to relate to, making this a touching, witty and beautiful story.As a first-time reader of Castillo’s work, I was enthralled with her unique style of writing. Her mixture of English and Spanish is initially a bit uncomfortable until the storytelling takes over. For readers with no knowledge of Spanish this may make the going difficult, but, in most cases, the narrative itself allows the reader to deduce the translation. Ms. Castillo’s writing style reminds me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Her cadence is lively yet almost poetic, rich in insight yet spoken in an everyman voice.
    • 4/5
      Before I began this novel, I was worried that it would be too action/drama-filled and that the message regarding undocumented immigrants and the dangers they face would be lost. When I began the novel, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get into the rhythm of the mixed Spanish and English text. But The Guardians ended up being just right, both in plot and writing style. Definitely recommended.
    • 2/5
      I, like many of the reviewers below couldn't reallly finish this book after several tries. I hate giving reviews to unfinished books because I think its unfair, which is why it took me this long to write anything. I agree, this book is unfortunately not worth reading/and also not to my taste. If anyone wants a excellent book about the same topic, try The Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle
    • 1/5
      Alright, this is the 4th time I have tried and failed to finish this book. Each time I pick it up to read again I think to myself that I can slog through it THIS time (it's on my LIST!!! it's been on many lists since I got it 2 years ago!) put up with the flat, one-dimensional characters who have as much range and depth of personality as a two-toned DMV employee in a '50's late night re-run (I HAVE to finish it! It's an ARC for LTER!) long enough to etch out a review on here and cross it off of my TBR List...And then it occurs to me once again: Reading this book, or trying to anyways, is a complete waste of time. I will never finish it. The prose is as dry as the wasteland on the cover and as MANY other reviewers have stated on here, it is ridiculous for someone who is reading/reviewing an Advanced Copy of a book in English to be expected to understand the 90% of it that is riddled with Spanish. You would have to either be fluent in Spanish to understand it or have a Spanish Dictionary handy. And really, what's the point in releasing it in English then? In her dedication, Ana Castillo states, "To all working for a world without borders and to all who dare to cross them". I understand the context behind her dedication, and while the flavoring of a novel that mixes two cultures is bound to have a cultures-clash is enhanced by the meld of two languages... all she ended up doing is alienating her readers and dividing the borders in a larger degree. Part of the appeal of a book like this is relating to and sympathisizing with the characters within... it is hard enough to make people care about your characters in ONE language, much less two.
    • 3/5
      Unlike many previous reviewers of The Guardians, I did not find the use of Spanish words and phrases in this book distracting or over-done. On the contrary, I think it added to the flavor of the story and helped identify and characterize the people. And, no, I don't speak Spanish; I do, however, live in the Southwest so either I pick up more than I realize, or I decide that each and every word isn't as important as the overall story.I enjoyed this book and thought that it gave some important background and insight into the trials of one set of immigrants coming to the U.S. from Mexico. Since immigration has become such a national issue, and particularly here in the West, I think there's value for many people in reading this and other stories like it. Was this the greatest story/novel ever? No. But it was far from the worst and I spent a pleasant couple of evenings in the company of Tia Regina, Gabo and especially El Abuelito.
    • 2/5
      Like many before me, I found that continual Spanish references to be likened to watching a movie that throws in foreign dialect with subtitles. It threw off the pace of reading as I would need to back up on the sentence to see if I could make sense of the phrase, thus distracting from the story itself. And while I was beginning to get a feel for the characters, I wasn't really very interested in joining the quest for Tia Regina's missing brother.
    • 3/5
      The premise of this book promised to be something that was right up my alley. And it would have been had I like any of the characters. The style was trying to be reminiscent of Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, what with each character getting to speak in their own voice. However, it seemed to me that none of the characters were ever fleshed out enough to carry this style. I went into the book knowing that the author was going to use some Spanish terms throughout. However, I found the liberal use of Spanish phrases to hinder my understanding of what was going on at times. I should not have to interrupt my reading to go to Babel Fish and translate sections, just to comprehend what is happening. Using this motif leaves a large segment of the population out of the loop. While it may be intentional on Castillo's part, seeing as how her experience in America is vastly different from my own, I still feel that by leaving so many out of the loop will continue to shrink her readership. I will definitely think twice about picking up another book of hers, not just due to the language barrier but also to the overall flat characterizations, fuzzy plotlines, and general sloppiness of writing presented here.
    • 3/5
      I wanted to at least like this book, but I found it tedious. The numerous Spanish words and phrases that were not translated was frustrating. It seemed pompous, reluctant to assist in keeping the flow of comprehension moving along. I did like the characters and found them colorful and believable.
    • 4/5
      I don't think I've ever read a novel that captures the slow, excruciating sense of the approaching inevitable the way that The Guardians does. Even if you're not one who readily gives their heart to a story or its well-drawn inhabitants, Ana Castillo will capture you, and she will break your heart.
    • 3/5
      Ana Castillo created a world so vivid that I, an East Coast native who has never been further west than Des Moines, IA, was able to feel right at home in the deserts of New Mexico. The Guardians turned out to be an intriguing mix of the familiar (teen angst and a gap of understanding between adult and child) and the unfamiliar (illegal immigration and the deadly dangers of clashing with drug-running gangs), with a thoughtful examination of Christian devotion thrown in.Castillo has an unusual writing style that might not be to everyone's taste. She liberally sprinkles the narrative and dialogue with Spanish words and phrases. The effect is very natural-sounding, a reflection of the way bilingual people often talk and think, but readers without at least a cursory knowledge of Spanish may find themselves lost at times.
    • 4/5
      "From the beginning of time, the human being, just like all nature, has migrated to where it would survive."Four narrators reveal the culture clash that is so predominant in the border towns. In this book, El Paso/Juarez provides the setting, but I suspect the same divisiveness and exploitation exist all along the U.S./Mexican border. This is a book about illegal immigration and the hope for social transformation. The voice of Regina led me to share her quiet but sustained outrage about the victims on both sides of the border. She tells her story in a placid, compassionate manner; although with careful reading one can discern her understandable anger at the injustices occuring. I know this is fiction, but I also know that many horrible things are happening right on our doorstep. It is not an easy book to read because of the subject matter and the language barrier. I have no background in Spanish and was puzzled by some of the writing where even context did not allow me to figure it out. That same predicament, however, lent an air of authenticity to the book. It makes me want to learn some Spanish so I can better understand our southern neighbors.
    • 4/5
      This story is told from the perspective of 4 individuals living in New Mexico: Regina, Gabo, Miguel, and Milton. Regina is a widow in her 50’s. Her nephew Gabriel (Gabo) is currently living with her in order to attend school while his father, Rafa, works as a migrant worker. When Rafa mysteriously disappears during an illegal border crossing, Regina turns to a fellow co-worker, Miguel, for help. Milton, Miguel’s grandfather, takes an interest in mentoring Gabo and helping with the search for Rafa.There was much I found interesting about this story including the Mexican cultural mores and how each of these characters view them, identify with them, and are influenced by them. The only problem I had with the story was with some of the Spanish liberally sprinkled throughout the text. I usually have no problem with this technique when used to add cultural authenticity to dialog, but in this story there were just too many places where the definition of the words used were not readily apparent from the surrounding text which left the reader yearning for a Spanish/English dictionary.
    • 4/5
      Middle-aged, virginal widow Regina is a legal U.S. resident raising her saintly teenaged nephew Gabriel, whose mother was brutally killed by “coyotes” (traffickers in illegal immigrants across the U.S./Mexico border) and whose father vanished during one of his frequent illegal border crossings. To help find Gabriel’s father, Regina enlists the aid of political revolutionary and public school teacher Miguel and of Miguel’s elderly grandfather, Abuelo Milton.As the story continues, the main four characters are enmeshed in private battles with inner demons and external forces of injustice and violence. Gabriel fights for personal salvation, but finds himself entangled with violent gang members; Miguel tries to be a good father to his children and a friend to his ex-wife while longing for revolution; Abuelo Milton strives to remain relevant in a changing and increasingly dangerous world; and Regina simply struggles to protect her troubled nephew and find her missing brother.A passionate and lyrical tale of death, faith, injustice, and the gritty details of life along the U.S./Mexico border, “The Guardians” explores the inner and outer lives of Mexican Americans with a poet’s expressive voice and a politician’s wry sensibility.
    • 4/5
      Immigration is one of THE main campaign issues, and has always been a major issue in American life. Castillo offers an alternative view for those who see this as an armchair issue. The assumption seems to be that Latins cross the border leisurely at night, take our jobs, then go home. In The Guardians Castillo shows us a very different world, one frought with danger and challenges. Castillo's style is very straight forward, a no nonsense style with little flourish, but this is a story that needs to flourishes. She comes across as honest and opiniated. I would recommend this book for people with an interest in the subject. As a general novel, the plot moves along fine, but if I were not interested in hispanic immigration, I am not sure how well I would like this.
    • 3/5
      this book was one were you fall in love with the characters and think about them after you read the book i was surprised i did like this book so much since this is subject i had never read about before but the history sucked me in and made me want to know more
    • 2/5
      This convoluted Southwestern tale centers on Regina, a long time widow, who is raising her fiercely religious nephew, Gabo. Regina is searching for her missing brother, Rafa, who disappeared while trying to cross the border. A local teacher, Miguel gets drawn into this family drama. Miguel is a hippie born too late to change the world, but spouts his opinion at every opportunity. Miguel's grandfather Milton adds some history and wisdom to the narrative. The story itself was compelling, but the pace was greatly slowed by the use of four voices. Also, a Spanish/English glossary at the back would be useful for people who are not fluent.
    • 1/5
      I'm not sure what my reaction to Ana Castillo's The Guardians should be.First, I'll admit that I did not finish the book. In fact, it was all that I could do to refrain from throwing it across the room--the treatment I reserve for books that I consider to have wasted precious reading time. Time I'll never get back.Come to think of it, the only reason that I didn't throw it across the room was because I didn't want to wake the cat.At turns boring, tendentious, and not probable, it was all that I could do to read as far as I did. And I only did that much for the purposes of this review.
    • 4/5
      I had never read any Ana Castillo, but I thought that the description of the book sounded intriguing, so I signed up for the early reviewer copy and was lucky enough to snag one. I pushed it to the front of my reading list so that I could review it quickly and stay in good stead with this excellent program (free books!). But I hesitated in writing the review because it is a hard book to review for me. I enjoyed it. It didn’t blow me away and it didn’t bore me. It is a good book, but I wouldn’t call it a great book by any means. As a Canadian I think that I have a little less familiarity with Spanish than a lot of Americans might have, and I did find her use of Spanish words and phrases distracting. I didn’t ever resort to looking them up online or anything (they are usually clear from the context), but words can have such precise meanings that a vague understanding of what she had in mind often doesn’t satisfy me. I found the characters to be nicely developed, relatively believable and consistent, and the story fairly engaging. Overall it left me with a good impression, but it isn’t a book that left me wanting more. I certainly don’t regret reading it, but there weren’t any moments where the writing struck me as overly beautiful (though it was never poorly written). I don’t think that I will seek out any other books by Ms. Castillo. All in all, it was pretty good. Which it makes it hard to review.
    • 2/5
      i expected to like this novel. The cover blurbs are great and the themes are urgent. Unfortunately, the novel itself veers between long stretches of dreadful plotlessness, highly improbable events that (finally) drive the plot forward, and seemingly endless pages filled with characters' musings to themselves.It's not as if Ana Castillo's topics aren't engaging. She's telling a story about a family living on and fractured by the Mexican-American border. The characters include a man who vanished crossing the border with coyotes to rejoin his sister and son in the U.S. Years before, coyotes separated him from his wife, harvested her organs, and left her lying dead in the desert. The man's surviving son dreams of becoming a priest and finding his father as he navigates a gang-infested school. His guardian aunt, a teacher's aide, dreams of starting a business and relaxes by working in her garden. The aunt has body issues and is still a virgin since she did not consummate her marriage the day before her husband was sent overseas and killed in the military. Castillo's didacticism is pronounced and inescapable. Characters constantly provide the details of their pasts and their reactions to current events in long monologues. Two of the main characters are schoolteachers and one of the teachers mourns how little the young people know about their own past. And so, the readers receive Castillo's history lessons and opinions about Mexican-American politics throughout the book.The author's politics are equally unavoidable. Characters muse that we are brothers and sisters on both sides of the border and there should be no restrictions on people traveling north for economic reasons. Castillo's characters never consider the effect that the influx of low-wage, low-skill workers has on the job market and the wages and opportunities of Americans who are also trying to make a living working minimum wage jobs. She bolsters her opinions by having God himself provide a miraculous vision to two of her characters. Heavy-handed to say the least.All in all, Castillo submits her readers to a tendentious session of proselytizing that often feels like a diatribe. One wishes the author was better able to make the truly pressing border issues come alive for her readers.
    • 2/5
      I really wanted to like this book. I tried to force myself to keep reading, but the characters didn't grab me and the narrative seemed to drag. I had a hard time keeping track of who was narrating. I kept putting the book down then trying to come back to it, but I couldn't make myself care about the story.
    • 3/5
      This is a timely book on a very hot topic. If I were to gage the sucess of this book on Castillo's ability to win me over to the side of pro immagration, then I would have to say that the book failed. But I don't think that is the correct way to measure the book. In fact, I know it is not. What Castillo does succeed well at is telling the immagration story through the realities of those who live it. I live in PA, what do I know about the trials and tribulations of immagrants....well, after having read this book, I would say that my view was pretty narrow. After reading it, I have a deeper connection with the human struggle of both sides of the debate, but I still retain my original opinion that we need border control. I am glad that I read this book. I think that I needed to read this book to get a perspective that is different from media coverage. I think that it is unfortunate that the novel will be held up to the ongoing debate of today, rather than debating it as a work of literature.
    • 1/5
      The best thing I can say about this book is that I finished it. Normally, if a book doesn't grab me within the first 50 pages, I allow myself to set it aside and move on. Unfortunately, I was an early reviewer of this book, and as such I felt an obligation to finish. The characters were one-dimensional archetypes - the spinster, the teenage boy torn between god and the devil (in the form of his buddies in a gang), the bumbling do-gooder/hero, etc. That would have been acceptable if the story arc was compelling. However, I found the multiple narrator voices distracting, the relationships between the characters lacking emotion, and the plot stretched thin. It felt like the book started as a short story but somewhere along the way the author tried to turn it into a full length novel without really adding any content.I have lived in both California and Texas and was able to manage most of the Spanish words without trouble. But, it felt like the author was experimenting with a literary exercise. It was more like Spanglish - adding El before random English words, for example. Do people really talk like this? No Mexicans I know do, regardless of how long they've lived in the US. In the end, I just didn't find the characters or the story believable, enlightening, or compelling. I probably wouldn't pick up anything by the author again,and wouldn't recommend her to others.
    • 2/5
      The GuardiansAna CastilloLet me preface my review by saying that I know ZERO Spanish. From the start, I was a bit confused by the Spanish language intermingled throughout the book. Although I was often able to determine their meaning within the context of the sentence or paragraph, it was quite an unpleasant distraction. Anyone who has ever lived in Mexico or New Mexico, even Texas and California might appreciate the language woven in to highlight the story of a family living on the border, but it had me lost. It was a nice story, though a bit drawn out and lacking in much substance. If not for writing an honest review, I doubt I would have finished the book.
    • 5/5
      The greatest moral challenge facing the United States today as it grapples with the issue of Mexican immigration is to pull back from the spiral of prejudice, hatred, and discrimination. Ana Castillo's beautiful, compassionate and compelling novel of life in the U.S.-Mexican borderlands should be widely read as an antidote to the poisonous caricature of Mexican immigrants that has intensified in the overheated political debate over imigration.The Guardians is not a political novel per se; it does not explicitly take a position on immigration policy. But her eloquent and richly detailed account of the painful history and experience of people struggling to build a life in the harshest of environments and hardest of circumstances will open many hearts to a greater understanding of the U.S. Mexican experience. If understanding is the beginning of compassion and justice, Castillo has made an invaluable contribution to American life and culture at a crucial moment. The politics of this novel can be summed up simply: less hatred, more love. The Guardians of the title are ostensibly the mountain range along the border in the small town near the cities of El Paso and Juarez where the novel begins and ends; but more profoundly, the Guardians are the four main characters and co-narrators of the novel who try to protect each other as they make their way through the patchwork of borderlands that make up their world: the geographic borderland between the U.S. and Mexico of course, but also the social borderland between the small town of Cabuche and the urban barrios of El Paso and Jaurez, legal and illegal, youth and age, and the spiritual borderlands between the sacred and profane, hope and despair. Castillo writes beautifully, but in a language that reflects the ambiguities of the borderlands. Though she artfully paraphrases the many Spanish words and phrases her characters use to tell their stories, Anglo readers completely unfamiliar with that language may still struggle at times, as I did, to fully understand their meaning. But this struggle with the language is an essential part of our coming to understand the characters, to share as readers in their narrative struggle to create a langauge and a life between the United States and Mexico. With a sepia-toned cover featuring a beautiful woman in a white gown dancing alone in the desert, and cover blurbs emphasizing that the book is sensuous, lyrical, vivid, etc, Random House seem to be trying to market the book as a work of lush magical realism along the lines of Isabelle Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. But the book is in fact as tensely plotted as a thriller and situated in the starkly real world of border police, coyotes, economic desperation and the vicious illegal traffic in drugs and people that render human life so cheap. But if the world Castillo depicts is gritty, the characters she brings to life truly are magical, reminding us of the dignity, grace and miraculous capacity for love that people can demonstrate in even the most painful and trying of circumstances.
    • 5/5
      I was delighted to receive and review a copy of Ana Costillo's new novel, "The Guardian". I was also a little embarrassed because I consider myself to be well read yet I had read none of her previous work nor had I heard of her. She did not disappoint. This book also took me into uncharted territory, the lives of Mexican immigrants and the daily struggle at the Texas-US border.I will through out quote occasionally from the book. Firstly there is a portion of the author's acknowledgements:"Finally , the forgotten underclass through out the world, whose lives , services , and labor are taken far too much for granted, are remembered."Thank you so much, Ms. Costillo, for saying that. It is a rare tribute in this modern world. It would resonate soundly with the characters Miguel and Regina. Miguel in "The Guardian" struggles to keep up the good fight and thereby bring meaning to his life. But Miguel also struggles, as we all do with the practical demands of life. Everyone, even aging hippies must work and can't give all their money away. Another very interesting aspect of Miguel's personality is that he comes to recognize that the rights of women were neglected in the civil rights movement and the peace movment of the 60's. The human rights of women, and in particular, violence against women which is also a theme imbedded in Ms. Costillo's writing, was never part of that school of thought. Indeed feminism is frequently scorned by both left and right male political leaders. Miguel is dismayed by his wife's committment to assisting women who are victims of violence. While he doesn't actually have an epiphany, or radical change of view he is nevertheless clearly uncomfortable with himself and is looking within. Ms Costillo is too clever and realistic to paint any kind of dramatic conversion. Let us simply say that he is soul-searching. He has not yet understood that women's rights are human rights or that violence against women isn't simply a natural part of the human condition.The story in this book which is both riveting and action-filled is told by 4 voices of very well-defined and unique individuals. The story centres around a strong female character( is there really any other kind), Regina, who is a Mexican American with citizenship and the full right to live where she lives which happens to be close to the Mexican border. Other members of her family are not so fortunate. She is care-giver to her teenage nephew who lives with her and goes to school in the neighbourhood. He is illegal but she manages to protect him. Gabo is however a troubled boy who has found solace in rigid adherence to the Roman Catholic faith and his relationship with a priest(another voice in the novel). Gabo agonizes over right and wrong. He says to his classmates in an emotional state:"No darker hour could we be living in than this one, when a great nation sets upon wars in the name of peace"Gaba is justified in his fears and uncertainty. His mother died in attempting to cross the border and her decomposed body found many days later. His father, Regina's brother, has disappeared in a later attempt to cross the border. Regina, with the help of Miguel and his grandfather (another voice in the book)attempt to find out what happened to him. Is he dead or alive? Where is he? Their search takes them to many strange and dangerous places.Regina describes the border near her home as a kind of no-man's land where drug dealers, coyotes (people who are paid to bring people across but are equally likely to steal their money and leave them for dead), American vigilante groups and occasionally genine law enforcement officers from both sides are present. It was a startling and stark (sorry about that) description of a place where all is heartbreak. The description of the suburb or country community attached to El Paso where Regina lives is a harsh environment, brutally hot and at night sometimes severely cold. Dangerous and annoying insects are everywhere (the moth episode freaked me out). The land is polluted and frequently safe water is unavailable during flooding. It is a land of harsh extremes. Regina bears it all and takes care of her nephew and fearlessly searches for her brother.It would be wrong to say more because there is a plot, a genuine mystery, and a startling outcome but any further hints would spoil the story. Enjoy this book. It is a great American story. I do not use any sub category because America, like Canada is so much more than its Northern European heritage. I recently discovered another great American writer, Zora Neale Hurston who wrote novels in the 30,s and 40"s and died in poverty. Her novel, which is now used frequently in university English classes, "Their Eyes were Watching God" is an American treasure. It is not just written by an African American woman. This is an American voice who tells an important story from American history. Likewise, Ms Castillo is an American voice.I deliberately did not read other reviews until I had finished the book and my review. I respect all views including those who didn't finish the book. I was surprised to hear the critisism of the occasional use of Spanish. I think we have to assume that Ms Costillo knows something about how these people talk. It may be irritating but people using their 2nd or 3rd language frequently do this. Also, Cormac McCarthy in his book "The Crossing " frequently switches into Spanish sometimes for several paragraghs. This also appears in "All the Pretty Horses". I don't recall anyone critisizing the great man for this. It fit with the story and his characters. On a personal level I also cringed a little. I had just returned from 2 weeks in Paris, 2 weeks in London and then another week in rural Quebec at a friend's second home. I speak French as a second language and I was speaking French in Paris and then suddenly in Quebec. I realized that as I happily chattered away to our friendly French Canadian neighbours I do the same thing. I don't stop if a word doesn't come. I fill in the English word and move on. Usually they understand or stop me if they don't. Likewise when they spoke English to me they used the occasional French word or phrase. A particularly interesting topic was the difference between the French of France and the French of Canada. I reeled off numerous word, usually nouns, that I used in Paris and the Canadians advised me of what that is called in Quebec. The point is that we communicated easily and talked about many things. I also speak and read a bit of Spanish and Norwegian. I remember being in South America having a lengthy chat with a woman on an airplane. We chattered away half in Spanish and half in English. It wasn't pretty but we did our best. That is how languages are learned. Mutual toleration is required.
    • 4/5
      Briefly, The Guardians is a story of a Mexican immigrant woman raising her nephew near the border of Mexico while searching for her brother, who has disappeared during one of his frequent illegal border crossings.More deeply it is the story of what life is like for migrant workers and their families in border towns in the US. Some have tried to create legitimate lives for themselves in the US, obtaining legal residency. Others can not leave their families in Mexico so they continue to risk the crossings.Ana Catillo examines the risks and reasons of the border crossings, how the US is complicit in creating and maintaining the current illegal immigrant situation, and how the immigrants and their families cope with it. Using multiple first person accounts she touches on many aspects of their lives from the Coyotes who "help" with the crossing, the border patrol who try to prevent them, the farm owners who employ them, the schools and agencies who try to protect them, the church leaders they may look to for guidance, and their ultimate reliance on themselves. She tells the story in such an easy pace and unassuming style that the lessons only rarely cross the line to preaching. The voices of each narrator ring true, each speaking (or writing) as if they were simply talking to a neighbor about their experience.Being Mexican they slip into Spanish phrases here and there, but as one reads one learns the meaning from repetition and context so it is not a big barrier to overcome.Certainly not as big as the border itself.
    • 5/5
      The Guardians revolves around Regina, a middle-aged woman who immigrated from Mexico to New Mexico as a young woman, and now works as a teacher's aide in a small town where she lives with her nephew Gabriel. Gabriel’s father, Rafael, and Regina both want Gabriel raised in the US so he can get a good education and go on to college, but the devoutly religious teenager has his heart set on joining the priesthood. Rafael still lives in Mexico but frequently crosses the border illegally to find work in the US. As the novel begins he has disappeared during his most recent crossing into the US. Rafael’s wife was killed during a border crossing years earlier, and Regina and Gabriel fear the same has happened to him. Regina asks Miguel, a teacher at the school where she works, for help in tracking down the coyotes Rafael hired to smuggle him over the border and in finding her brother. The Guardians begins by alternating between Regina's viewpoint with Gabriel's letters to God, adding the perspectives of Miguel and his grandfather Milton when they enter the story. The characters' individual voices all ring true, and the different perspectives give the reader a fuller picture of social context, and personalize the larger issues - the mutual need of Mexican citizens for work and of American employers for cheap labour, and laws controlling this exchange. Despite some of the terrible things that happen in The Guardians, it is not hopeless, but pervaded by faith – in the case of Regina and Gabriel, faith in God, and in the case of Rafael, Miguel and Milton, faith in political action and the possibility of social change.The Guardians illuminates the suffering and lawlessness that results from governmental decisions to make people illegal and deprive them of their basic rights. But by staying focused on the small family story it engages the reader in the fate of characters who stay with you after the book ends.