Escape to the North
Written by Carlos Hugo Rojas
Published by Piñata Books
Fifteen-year-old Rosa lives happily with her mom, brother and sister in Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras. Their simple life is disrupted when the teen and her brother witness their older sister’s brutal murder by her boyfriend, a ruthless member of the Mara Salvatrucha (MS13) gang.
The siblings are forced to flee their village for fear the Maras will try to silence them—permanently! Their mom puts them on a bus and sends them to an aunt in Guatemala. Once there, though, Rosita finds herself in danger again, this time at the hands of her aunt’s abusive husband, who intends to exploit and traffic her at his local bar.
Soon she must go back on the run, this time headed to an aunt in Houston, Texas. Along the way she meets a friendly family that provides a welcome lifeline on the frightening and dangerous journey, during which she encounters many men who would use and abuse her, climbs aboard the infamous freight train known as “La Bestia” and crosses a desert full of dark shadows. Teens will read this exciting novel with bated breath as Rosa risks everything to escape to the United States in search of a safe, stable life.
Primary ISBN:
Publication Date: October 2025
Available As: Paperback
Young Adult, Age 15 or older
Community Represented: Honduran/Honduran American
Themes: Discrimination: Gender and Sexual, Family Relationship: Extended, Family Relationship: Siblings, Genre: Thriller, Human Rights Violation: Trafficking, Multilingual: Spanish Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Refugee Journey, Refugee: Gang Violence, Refugee: Sexual Violence, Setting: Home Country, Setting: US/Mexican Border Crossing, Trauma & Healing, Trauma & Healing: Death of Family or Friend, Trauma & Healing: Sexual Assault, Unaccompanied Minors
Setting: Honduras (Santa Rosa de Copán), Guatemala, Mexico, United States (Houston TX)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Refugee
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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