Santiago’s Road Home
Written by Alexandra Diaz
Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
A young boy gets detained by ICE while crossing the border from Mexico to the United States in this timely and unflinching novel by award-winning author Alexandra Diaz.
The bed creaks under Santiago’s shivering body. They say a person’s life flashes by before dying. But it’s not his whole life. Just the events that led to this. The important ones, and the ones Santiago would rather forget.
The coins in Santiago’s hand are meant for the bus fare back to his abusive abuela’s house. Except he refuses to return; he won’t be missed. His future is uncertain until he meets the kind, maternal María Dolores and her young daughter, Alegría, who help Santiago decide what comes next: He will accompany them to el otro lado, the United States of America. They embark with little, just backpacks with water and a bit of food. To travel together will require trust from all parties, and Santiago is used to going it alone. None of the three travelers realizes that the journey through Mexico to the border is just the beginning of their story.
Look for the Spanish version, La Travesía de Santiago.
Primary ISBN: 9781534446236
Publication Date: May 2020
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook
Middle Grade, Age 10 or older
Community Represented: Mexican/Mexican American
Themes: Accolades & Awards, Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Detention & Deportation, Family Relationship: Extended, Family Relationship: Grandparents, Family Separation: By Detention, Family Separation: On Journey, Format: Audiobook, Immigrant: Undocumented, Multilingual: Spanish Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Setting: US/Mexican Border Crossing, Trauma & Healing, Unaccompanied Minors
Setting: Mexico, United States
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
Click here for details about how we define our titles.
Engagement Projects & Resources:
Share your favorite resources for this book with info@imyourneighborbooks.org.
Engagement Materials:
Guía para la Lectura en Grupo (En Español)
Source: Simon & Schuster