His best chance to travel across Mexico is as a beast rider. It is dangerous in many ways. Some people die just trying to climb on top of the trains as they go by. Once onboard, there are violent and ciminal men who will take advantage and steal what little you have.
At one stop, Manuel is beaten by Mexican police. At another, he is attacked by a gang and left for dead. He is ready to give up, but the people of a nearby village nurse him back to health.
Now scarred and walking with a limp, Manuel continues north, but will el Norte be the land of dreams he always imagined?
This slim volume by Tony Johnston and Maria Elena Fontanot de Rhoads is a painful tale of one young immigrant trying to find his way. This is an example of a book that is deceptively simple at first glance but is actally a much more complex story. Recommended for those who want to better understand the immigrant experience and get a different take on the personal journy of one boy.
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