We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

We Are Not From Here Review

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4.5 out of 5)

We Are Not From Here is a heavy hitting and heartbreaking story of three children hoping to change their lives by seeking refuge in America. Escaping gang violence in their home, Puerto Barrios, Pulga, Chico, and Pequena are forced to leave behind everything they’ve known and navigate the dangerous and rigorous journey to the States on their own. The book is told from the perspectives of Pulga, a strong and rational thinker, and Pequena, who is mature and compassionate. Although I tend to dislike books told in multiple narratives, the stark contrast between Pulga and Pequena allowed for each chapter to be distinct. The book, however, is not a light read and the ending is quite bittersweet.

I am not an emotional reader, but this book brought me to tears multiple times. Chico’s naivety of a 13 year old is heartbreaking as he desperately turns to strangers for help, despite Pulga’s warnings to trust nobody. He is so scared of what lies ahead, the uncertainty of the arduous journey and life in America, but cannot return home. The saddest part of this book is how Pulga, Pequena, and Chico are forced to grow up so quickly in order to confront the pain and suffering of the migration process. As their childhoods are stripped away, they become shells of the children they once were. 

Jenny Torres Sanchez created convincing and distinguishable characters, making the book all the more emotional as I began to get attached to them. The detailed description of the blistering desert and menacing La Bestia train paints a clear image of the dangerous journey that Pulga, Pequena, and Chico embark upon. Most notably, Sanchez’s depiction of the raw and real fear that struck the characters is a painful reminder of the saddening reality that many migrants face in order to seek safety and opportunity. 

When Chico and Pulga witness a crime, their lives quickly become threatened by local gang members. Pequena, forced into marriage and motherhood, seeks freedom and safety. The three friends have no choice but to leave behind their beloved homes and families in order to seek refuge in America. The teenagers follow the route and embark on the La Bestia, a dangerous system of trains that takes them from Guatemala to the US border.