The very existence of this book is hopeful since it implies Karina got her wish. Karina’s deepest desire is for a day she feels safe enough with her family to pursue her dream to be a writer. She crossed into the United States with her parents when she was a baby, and we understand it is she who has compiled the winding narratives that make this novel, some literally in the second-person as begrudging contributions only a younger brother might provide, her own in the first-person, and the rest of her family’s in the third-person. Karina, Elena and Mauro’s eldest daughter, is a dreamer in the political and literal sense. It’s not until about halfway through the novel that you understand what’s going on with the narrative structure, and even then, it’s a little disorienting. Her story is thrilling, she’s an interesting character to follow, and the first chapter (and that first line!) completely pulled me in however, the second chapter drops that thread immediately and picks up another character’s narrative several years back. After one (arguably warranted) moment of violence, she’s racing against the clock as she escapes a reform school and makes her way to a flight into America that will reunite her with a mother and two siblings she hasn’t been with since she was a baby. Infinite Country follows multiple viewpoints, opening with a chapter from Talia, Elena and Mauro’s youngest daughter. What was it about this country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? Patricia Engel, Infinite Country
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