My Side of the River is the honest and at times brutal story of the journey one young woman took from the dirt poor daughter of undocumented Mexican immigrants to Ivy League college graduate and beyond. Ms. Gutierrez's story is nothing short of inspirational.

The author's experiences are told without complaint, even when they expose the tragedy bestowed on families because of failed immigration policies. Her undying belief in the power of an education and single-minded efforts to achieve despite huge obstacles were eye-opening.

While not an easy read, My Side of the River should be required reading for our policy makers and for anyone working in the educational systems. The story points out not only flaws in our systems, but also the power of teachers and other supportive adults in the lives of children.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of My Side of the River by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez. The opinions in this review are my own.

I enjoyed reading about Elizabeth’s story of trying to survive in the US on her own, while her parents were stuck in Mexico. It was interesting to hear about how she survived growing up poor with undocumented parents and family members. I enjoyed seeing the role family plays in Mexican culture, even when individuals don’t get along. There really is a strong dedication to family.

The part of the book where Elizabeth is on her own, trying to make it through high school so she can get into college, is very powerful. I was rooting for her during this extremely difficult time. She overcame a lot to make it to college!

I feel like there were more details about daily life in the earlier part of her life and book. I found those parts more interesting. I would have liked the details to continue throughout the later parts of the book.

I also felt like the book just stopped. The ending didn’t feel like an ending. I felt that there needed to be more of a conclusion. Maybe more information about what she hopes is ahead of her.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. The writing was good, but I would have liked more details about daily life, especially later in the story, and I feel like the story could have been wrapped up better.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book!

I have been on an emotional roller coaster the past two days. Before retiring as a high school English teacher in a small town in the Midwest, I taught many students like Elizabeth. Education was very important to so many of them. I saw them living in difficult circumstances yet persevere to continue their education and become successful. I keep in contact with many of my students.

Elizabeth’s struggles and the ability to overcome so many hardships made her story compelling to the reader. I think her book is a must read for all teachers! I know I will be recommending MY SIDE OF THE RIVER to my book club of retired English teachers! My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Marten’s Press for this advanced reader’s copy. I already had this memoir on my radar and was super excited to read it early. Honest and amazing memoir from a first-generation Mexican daughter which details all she went through to not just graduate from high school, but excel while sleeping on someone’s couch as her parents were deported, get accepted to an Ivy League school, and grow up to care for little brother and her family. This author shows the lengths people will go to and the sacrifices people will make to be able to care for their family and give them a better life.

Such a candid memoir about the experience of a scholarly daughter of immigrant parents who are deported when she’s in 15. So well written and I loved Gutierrez’s voice. The world needs to hear more stories like this.

As a first generation Mexican American, so much of her story resonated with me. I grew up in a community that is 90% Hispanic and it felt like I knew exactly where Elizabeth was coming from. Her story is the story of so many others and the fact that she prevailed despite the endless obstacles before her is so incredibly inspiring. I especially appreciated her raw honestly. She did not shy away from the ugly thoughts and emotions she navigated and it was so real. I was rooting for her every step of the way. This here is a girl who fought tooth and nail to succeed and damn does she have some things to say. If you’re a fan of memoirs, this is not to be missed.

This is so random and I didn’t make the connection before reading this book, but I was on a TED talk kick a few years back and remember watching hers! I loved when she talked about it in her book.

{3.5 stars}

"I wondered about the responsibility I bore to make something of myself but never for myself."

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Elizabeth is an American born to Mexican immigrants visiting the country on a visa. She talks about her youth watching her parents hustle for work, never being paid for their value and always fearful of being deported. She had to live with family members dealing with sharing a small space amongst so many family members and the issues that caused. A gifted student, she had to deal with the pressure of living up to the American dream when she was afforded none of the comfort and rights offered to most Americans. When her parents are deported, she must decide whether to go with them to a country she is not native to and start over, or to continue on in America as a homeless, essentially parent-less youth. She lives with a family and while she is given a roof and some stability, she still deals with food insecurity and lack of affection and counsel that youth need. Despite that, she is successful but she details how much it took out of her and how unhappy she was along the way.

"Poverty teaches you a resourcefulness you never need to learn if you are nurtured in privilege."
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While I can not personally identify with the immigrant part nor the reality of having brown skin in America. I can identify with growing up in poverty and with very little hope for a future that isn't built by your own hands, blood, sweat and tears. I really resonated with the second part of her life story, the struggle to get into college with a scholarship and make the right choices for your future with no one to help you through that battle.

The third part lost me a bit, I struggled with how jaded she was and a bit of a loss of gratitude. She found a sense of contentment in the end but getting through the last third was a bit harder for me.

Thanks to St Martin's Press for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

I won’t be getting into what I think about the author’s parents and their decision to come to America and abuse their visa. That is a discussion that is not meant for this review, nor is it a time to touch on the American immigration system when it comes to someone’s memoir—in my opinion—because what is important is the author’s thoughts and experiences and not my own.

Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez writes a powerful memoir about her resilience growing up as a first generation immigrant in Arizona. She has overcome obstacles that me—a white, middle class woman—could never experience, and her memoir has given me a glimpse into a life that isn’t my own. Her writing flows well and I could feel her emotions—that intense sadness and pressure of going to high school and living with a family who didn’t necessarily want her there, her going to bed hungry until her school helped her. Her parents were back in Mexico but couldn’t get back to her and her brother, but through it all and even when she was alone, she fought her way to the top, and as her parents’ wanted, she was the best. I am grateful to have read and gotten to experience through her memoir the life of a first gen Mexican immigrant to further expand my knowledge and empathy to others who aren’t like me.

My one critique and it is very small, is that I thought there were too many time skips and gaps but thinking about it, maybe the author did this because of all the traumatic events she went through, and if that’s the case, I can understand why she didn’t give more details into her childhood.

A look at the life of one young immigrant who must navigate life in America on her own when she's separated from her parents.

The expectations and responsibilities weigh heavily on Elizabeth's fifteen year old shoulders and she goes through every emotion - fear, resentment, despair, gratitude, etc as she manages to get through every day.

A book for everyone, no matter your provenance.

After finishing Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez's memoir My Side of the River, I decided to wait three days before sitting down to compose my thoughts. My feelings about what I had read, along with my general impression of Gutierrez herself, were all over the map - and they still are. On the one hand, I greatly admire her work ethic and all that she has accomplished in her young life; on the other I can't help but resent a little her attitude toward the country that, despite the obstacles she faced, made it possible for Gutierrez to accomplish all that she has.

Gutierrez's story is a remarkable one. Her mother, as soon as she learned that she was pregnant with her first child, was determined to do whatever it took to give birth to that child in the United States rather than in Mexico. So baby Elizabeth was born in a Tucson hospital even though her parents returned to Mexico with her shortly thereafter. The family did not again take up residence in the U.S. until Elizabeth was four years old, and her younger brother would be born and start school in this country before expiration of her parents' tourist visas tore the family apart.

Elizabeth and Fernando remained in the U.S. while their parents unsuccessfully applied for new tourist visas. Suddenly Elizabeth, who was about to begin high school at the head of her class, was alone and responsible for the welfare of her little brother. That she would somehow manage to graduate at the head of her high school class and win scholarships to many of the best universities in the country is truly remarkable. Focusing on her mother's advice that she should always be the best student in the classroom, Elizabeth accomplished the near-impossible.

And despite becoming rather disillusioned by her experience in the banking industry, she has continued to do so.

That's the positive part of Gutierrez's story, but it's not the only part. At times she allows her accomplishments to be overshadowed by her resentment of U.S. immigration policy and a slip-of-the-tongue racism, such as when she accuses corporations in this country of "rushing to cover their white asses" after George Floyd's death. Or when she brags about gaming the system in order to "steal a little back" for herself as victim of what happened between Mexico and the U.S. in the mid-nineteenth century.

Gutierrez is right about a lot of what she says and feels about the way immigrants are treated in the U.S. but what she fails to mention or to understand is that it is different for legal immigrants than it is for those who cross the border illegally. The resentment and criticism she feels largely results from the way that too many immigrants abuse the system she is so critical of. That is certainly not to say that people like her parents are not in turn abused by having to take the low-paying jobs that will allow them to remain in the shadows. America's immigration system is broken, and immigration law, no doubt, desperately needs to be rewritten.

I recommend that everyone read My Side of the River and books like it with an open mind. There are good and bad guys on both sides of the equation, and both sides are as often wrong as they are right. People want a better life for their children than the one they had. It's always been that way, and it always will be that way. Surely there is a better way for us to work together to make that dream come true for more people.

A thoughtful and thought provoking memoir that emphasizes resiliency and determination. While this situation might be familiar, it's unique in its contours- and Camarillo Gutierrez explains what really happens to those unaccompanied homeless children when their parents are deported. This could have easily become a screed but it's not. Unfortunately, those who should read her story likely will not so those who do should share the lessons. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Beautifully written memoir.

I really loved this honest memoir about perseverance and determination. Elizabeth’’s story highlights the challenges of families being separated by citizenship and the struggles of establishing a life in the US. I was rooting for her success and happiness and couldn’t put the book down until I knew how it ended. It also highlighted relevant points as boarder crossing continues to be a big topic of conversation and government policy.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Publishing Group for the ARC. My Side of the River follows the experiences of the author as a first generation U.S. citizen. The book is well written and the author's story is inspiring.

I think this is a beautiful and important book. It's also very timely with all the criticism of immigration in the USA. I am excited for my library patrons to read this book. For some this book will be a mirror of their own experience, but especially in my area, I think this will be an impactful window into another's experiences.

A poignant, eloquent memoir of an immigrant family’s struggles to come to the United States and make a better life for themselves and their children. The pressure on the eldest daughter to be the best was immense and the obstacles that she had to overcome were at times daunting. Her detailed account of her life was quite moving and gave me insight into the plight of immigrants coming to the U. S. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

Should anyone in their twenties write a memoir? My Side of the River is my latest attempt at reading one, and I ultimately concluded that this author should have waited. While Camarillo Gutierrez has a compelling life story to date, there needs to be more substance, self-reflection, and maturity to constitute a memoir. Reading her book, I felt it was another box checked by the author as she plans a political career. Much of the narrative chronologically accounts for the author's day-to-day activities - TMI. I kept waiting for some tension to develop, but the moment never arrived. I wasn't very excited about picking it up, and I was going to DNF it, but I decided to read the book as an anthropologic observation of a GenZ coming of age - then I enjoyed it more.

This said I have a strong interest in Elizabeth's story. An undocumented young man joined my family in 9th grade when he had a family crisis not unlike Elizabeth's. So I get it. But what does the author want us to take away from her book? There are no policy recommendations, no recommendations on how we could help children like her, and no way forward.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

My Side of the River is a coming-of-age memoir of a young woman raised by her Mexican immigrant parents in Arizona. Her parents were denied their visa renewal, returning to Mexico with her brother, and forcing her to pursue her education and manage independently while living in a less-than-ideal situation. I wanted to take her under my wing! The author does a great job of sharing her plight with the reader without self-pity or judgment. Her story helped me understand the difficulties and prejudice that immigrant children face despite the opportunities afforded to them. This is such a well-written book and in light of current immigration issues, is timely reading.

Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez has chronicled her experiences as a first generation Mexican American. She does a great job writing about her parents' hard work ethic and their 'education first' mantra. In this memoir Elizabeth shows how immigration tore her family apart and affirmed her resolution to graduate college. The hardships she endured were like a punch in the gut as she was robbed of an adolescence as her main concern was to work hard and bring her brother to the US so he could have the same advantage of a good education as she had. Plus, she would send money to her parents. That's a lot of responsibility for a young adult. It's definitely worth the read to see how eloquently she put her moving story in words.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy.

Elizabeth grew up in the United States as a U.S. citizen but her parents were not. They were in the country on work visas, and not always legal to be there. Her parents pushed her to meet her full potential and always be the best she could be.

This book shows her struggles as a 1st generation citizen as she strives to make a better life for her family while returning to her roots to keep the family together.

This was an excellent portrayal of the immigrant struggles for a better life.

#NetGalley #MySideoftheRiver #ElizabethCamarilloGutierrez

"My Side of the River" by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez is the author's own story of her life as the American daughter of Mexican immigrants who were not citizens of the United States. As much as I wanted to love this book, it left me wanting more. It moved from one milestone of Elizabeth's life to the next, without the intimacy and details I look for in a memoir. I was left wondering why she wrote this book at all-was it to highlight the experiences of immigrants in this country, to inspire other young women in her situation, or was it, to paraphrase her own words when applying to colleges, to turn her trauma into gold and financially benefit from her story (not that there is anything wrong with that)? Instead of denigrating state colleges (the nerve that someone would confuse her ivy league Penn with the state school Penn State-also a very good school by the way), I wish she would have focused less on her impressive achievements (and tempered the elitist tone at times) and more on such personal details as thoughts and feelings, the things that really make a memoir resonate with a reader. This book lacked emotion and depth; it was more of a resume than a memoir. I know I will probably take a lot of criticism for this review, but I am always completely honest in my reviews, and this book lacked the substance I look for. I longed for a deeper connection with Elizabeth, which just wasn't there.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Finding it really hard to properly rate this one. I think Elizabeth’s journey and perseverance is both moving, and a critically important reminder of the humanity that must underlie our national conversations around immigration reform. I also appreciate, particularly in the first half of the book, how her family’s story sheds light on the *other* side of America; an undercurrent of ever present, yet woefully dehumanized immigrant labor force that affords us the daily comforts we associate with this country.

The story was incredibly readable, and I really flew through it, but I’m also wondering if that same readability was a by-product of there not being the depth I craved throughout.

Final thought, I’ve had friends describe the social tax that comes with being an immigrant, both the pressure to be excellent and provide for your family. That was a major theme throughout the book, but I never felt like I learned how she’s processed that as she’s transitioned into adulthood. She chronicled her lived experience growing up with that burden, but I would have loved maybe an additional chapter on her reflecting on how she’s processed that burden as an adult looking back. That is the missing piece that’s keeping this from being a 5 star book for me.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC.