This story is quite meaningful to me as an adoptive parent who had one failed adoption. The characters come to life in this narrative about a Mexican family and their trials and tribulations as they try to survive near the poverty line yet make a good life for themselves and their children, under horrendous circumstances that are brought one by some poor choices. I really liked this book, the settings, and the plot points, made especially poignant by the events of today's border conflicts.

This fast-paced, heart wrenching novel is so relevant to our current times. Stone does an excellent job creating characters that feel real and the effect is devastating. I found myself holding my breath in anticipation of what would happen to the family the story revolves around. It is a soul-gripping tale that will make you see the current border crisis through new eyes.

This was a great book! Very topical too! My heart broke for the parents. A suspenseful story to say the least! I recommend this to anyone who enjoys suspense or mystery! Happy reading!

This book will surely hit home to many who have had a similar experience. This book is perfect in conjunction with all the stories of separation, immigration, and families dealing with their experiences in migration coming to light within the United States at this moment.
A very important read.

Loved this book
Didn't want it to end
Highly recommended

This book has SO MUCH HEART. It was very emotional, with a great deal of tender nuance in the relationships and emotions of the characters.

When a Mexican family (Hector, Lilia, and Alejandra) illegally immigrates to America, their baby daughter goes missing. Will they find her?

As far as I can remember, this is my first time reading about illegal immigration into the United States. While I found the writing somewhat simplistic, I enjoyed the story and was anxious to find out if Hector and Lilia found their daughter. This was a very timely story, and I'm glad I read it.

Last but not least, I very much enjoyed the sweet letters Hector wrote to his missing daughter, Alejandra.

Upon completion of this book, I discovered that it was the second in a series. While it was fine reading this one as a stand-alone, I now feel like I should go back and read The Iguana Tree to find our more about Hector and Lilia's time in America and their deportation back to Mexico!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

As a parent, what would you do to make sure your child had the best life possible? Or rather, is there anything you would not do? This is the question at the heart of the immigrant story of Border Child by Michel Stone. The writing beautifully draws me into Héctor and Lilia's world - all emotions that parents everywhere relate to. Best of all, the book leaves me thinking. What would I do? Faced with Héctor and Lilia's impossible decision, what would I do?

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2017/04/border-child.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

Border Child was a solid read. The novel follows Lilia and Hector, parents to Alejandra. A few years prior to the novel, Hector had traveled north to the USA from Mexico illegally and was going to send for Lilia. Lilia decided she couldn't wait, so she found her own coyote and left with their infant daughter Alejandra to surprise him. In the process of crossing the border, Lilia lost Alejandra, which has impacted their relationship and their lives profoundly. In the intervening four years, they have returned to their small town in Mexico, and are raising a toddler son and have another child on the way. They receive unexpected information about Alejandra's potential location, potentially changing their lives again.

I really liked the way this story was told. It's told through alternating viewpoints, including Hector, Lilia, their priest, their neighbor, and various others. The story charts each character's emotions surrounding the search for Alejandra, their feelings on el norte (the north), and their perceptions of Hector and Lilia's situation. At times, I found the characters insanely frustrating, especially considering how naïve Hector could be. This kind of took away from my enjoyment of the book, but also made the characters more realistic people. You can tell from the beginning that no one is in an easy situation, and the things they do to deal with it are wholly human.

The writing in the novel was lyrical and beautiful. There are moments that will make you smile, and moments that will make you want to cry. Some of the most beautiful moments also have a tinge of darkness. You will find yourself invested in what happens with Hector's search for Alejandra, and the choices he has to make as the truth is uncovered. I will admit that the ending did not entirely surprise me, but it was fitting, made sense, and well executed.

Overall, this novel was quite an interesting read. It had solid writing, and a good use of alternating viewpoints. It also showed different aspects of lives for immigrants than I had previously seen, particularly the reception Lilia and Hector get after they return home. If you like literary novels, this is a good read and I recommend it.

Note: I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

WOW what a power read from Michel Stone. Border Child is a must read especially with the current views of immigrants by someone who is trying to spread hate and inequality. Michel Stone writes a story that should remind everyone that we are all the same….we are all human beings and have struggles that we are fighting.
Hector and Lilia have big dreams for their growing family in the US. Hector leaves Mexico first to find a job and a home for his family. Lilia is desperate to reunite with Hector and to leave the struggles of Mexico so she decides to cross the border with their infant daughter, Alejandra. Sadly Lilia and Alejandra were separated…then the story fast word wards four years later when the three are finally have a chance to reunite.
I cannot say enough about Border Child. Michel really dives into the struggle of this family. Their story was so very sad and yet so very beautiful. I just love how this book is being released at the perfect time to remind people about humanity and that struggles are what drives people to make things better for their families.

Hector and Lilia are parents of an infant daughter, Alejandra, when Hector immigrates to the United States with the hope of establishing a better life for his family. Lilia foolishly decides not to wait until Hector finds a job and home in the US and makes her own plans to immigrate. Tragically, she is separated from Alejandra at the border. They are unable to find Alejandra who has disappeared with no trace.

The book picks up four years later when they are back in Mexico. Lilia and Hector now have a young son and Lilia is expecting their third child. They have never given up the hope of finding Alejandra. When they learn of a tip that may lead to finding their daughter, Hector leaves his family to try to find Alejandra.

The author does an excellent job of bringing the reader into the lives of this fragile family. Lilia carries so much guilt over her decision to immigrate on her own. The grief, guilt, blame and worry that she and Hector endure over the loss of Alejandra have put a wedge between them but you can still see their love for each other. As Hector searches for Alejandra, he takes on illegal jobs to pay for his travels. He appears completely naïve about these jobs, which I found a bit unbelievable, but I could understand his desperation. The end of the book wasn’t unexpected but it still brought tears to my eyes.

One thing that I didn’t expect was the reaction of Lilia and Hector’s neighbors and friends when they return to Mexico. Hector and Lilia were shunned by the Mexican people as they believed that Hector and Lilia thought they were better than the other Mexicans and were too good to stay in Mexico and even that they had deserted their country. I would have thought that the people who stayed behind would have understood Hector and Lilia’s desire to make a better life for themselves but they seemed to feel betrayed.

Recommended.

This book was given to me by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.