Once their first daughter is born, and facing grim economic prospects, they set their sights on the United States. Elena and Mauro are teenagers when they meet, their blooming love an antidote to the mounting brutality of life in Bogotá. It gave me all the feels.Īt the dawn of the new millennium, Colombia is a country devastated by half a century of violence. Through one family’s incredible journey, and their commitment to each other, I am reminded of, if and when we allow it, the possibility of and capacity for love. The landscapes, situations, and character dynamics are gritty, unpredictable, curious, and warm-hearted. What I love about this novel is that the characters' choices, gestures, and yearnings defy the expectations of the reader. This is the kind of book that allows you to see and feel the whole issues of immigration and displacement, offering an intimate perspective of an experience that touches and impacts us all. Told with tenderness and brilliance, this is a nuanced story of a resilient family from Colombia who are pulled apart by deportation. Talia is on the run and on the clock, racing against time to catch a flight to reunite with her family in the United States. I read Infinite Country in one sitting, devouring the book from the very first sentence: 'It was her idea to tie up the nun.”įrom the get, I was invested in Talia, a teen living in Colombia who is attempting to break out of a correctional facility after being sentenced for an impulsive and arguably justified crime.

I fell hard for Engel's storytelling back in 2010 with her debut Vida and then again when I read The Veins of the Ocean.

Infinite Country by Patricia Engel