An Epic Journey for Mexico and its People

books:

	• Into the Beautiful North: A Novel Luis Alberto Urrea Little, Brown and Company, 2009 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 22 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Wonderful Storyteller

This month, my on-line book club decided to read INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH by Luis Alberto Urrea. I've been looking forward to reading it ever since I received an ARC a few months ago; and ever since I had to opportunity to meet the author and his lovely wife at BEA, I just couldn't wait! Meeting Mr. Urrea was actually one of my BEA highlights. Both he and his wife are incredibly nice and so fun to talk to. (In fact, his wife even took some pictures of us so we could all be in the pictures.) I have to admit that I'm a little concerned about writing a review of this book because I don't feel that I'm worthy. So this "review" is probably just going to be me rambling about why I thought this novel was so good.

When I read the description, the first thing I thought was "Wow! What a great (and very unique) idea for a book. And, I have to say that I did love this story. The idea that a young woman decides to head north to the United States to bring back men to repopulate her village is just a great idea for a book. And, the entire journey from this small coastal village to the heartland of the United States does make for some interesting scenes. I felt as if I got an authentic view of Mexico (both the good parts and the not-so-good parts) as well as the entire ordeal of trying to illegally enter the United States. Reading this novel was definitely an eye-opener for me.

But there were just so many other wonderful things about this book in addition to the storyline -- the plot was just the foundation for a fantastic novel. INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH is just so well-written and this book is just a pleasure to read. It shouldn't be surprising that Mr. Urrea's prose is beautiful because he is a critically acclaimed author whose awards include a Lannan Literary Award, a Christopher Award, and American Book Award, and a Western States Book Award.

He tells this story in such a special way -- he just captured my attention and drew me into these characters' lives. I realize that I'm not doing a good job of telling you why this book touched me like it did, but it was definitely Mr. Urrea's writing style. His prose was poetic at times, yet it was also filled with brutal honesty; and his descriptions are just picture-perfect. I swear I could see this entire book running through my mind while I read it. What even amazed me more about this novel (and actually surprised me a great deal) was the amount of humor in this story. There is no doubt that this book deals with some very serious issues, yet Mr. Urrea included so many entertaining scenes and characters into this story.

Another thing I absolutely adored about this book were the characters. Mr. Urrea created some very memorable characters that managed to capture my heart. I couldn't help but adore Nayeli and her attempts to save her village -- she was so determined and yet so naive. Her composure and determination throughout all of the setbacks were just so honorable and even inspiring to me. I loved how she managed to never give up and always kept her wits about her. I also adored her three sidekicks, especially her gay friend Tacho because he was just an absolute hoot. And, I really appreciated Nayeli's Aunt Irma and what she represented -- pride in her village and country.

I think INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH will make for a wonderful discussion when my on-line group meets later today to talk about it. The story alone is entertaining, but the writing is absolutely beautiful too. I think we will have such a good time discussing the characters as well as the overall themes in this novel. Some of the things that I'm most looking forward to discussing are: the issues with immigration, the strength and resilience of women, and what it means to be a hero. I also think it will be very interesting to talk about the various characters and their personality traits. This is one novel that I just can't wait to share with my friends!

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An Epic Journey for Mexico and its People

Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea on audio was a delight, especially with the voice and passion of Susan Ericksen. Nayeli is a young girl working in a taco shop in Tres Camarones, who continues to idolize her father that left her and her mother many years ago.

Her home is under attack from bandits and drug dealers, but many residents have been abandoned by other men seeking the opportunities found in America. While watching The Magnificent Seven with Yul Brynner, Nayeli and her friends -- Tacho, Yolo, and Vampi -- decide they are going to make a trek to America to bring back the seven they need to save their town.

The audio brings to life the accents, the culture, the beauty of each scene and the playful sparring between these characters and their new surroundings. Ericksen's passion for these characters and this story is clear, illuminating the innocence of Nayeli and her friends and the hardships they face.

From the colorful personalities of Nayeli's gay boss, Tacho, to her vampire/Goth girlfriend Vampi and perky and whiny Yolo to the matriarch of the village Nayeli's Aunt Irma, Urrea paints a mosaic of Mexico and the struggles of illegal immigrants and those seeking a better life. Readers will by far enjoy the quirky Atomico a warrior from the dump outside Tijuana the most as he seeks to defend the four from the ills of the world.

My husband and I were riveted when the audio rolled us to work every morning. Atomico was my husband's favorite character because he was like a comic book character; "I AM ATOMICO." While the border crossings were the most exciting aspects of the novel for my husband, the end of the novel fell flat; he considered it an open ending as if there were more to come -- that the journey had not ended. Urrea's writing is passionate and tangible, capturing the reader instantly and weaving a tale that envelops them completely.

Into the Beautiful North is one of the best novels I've read in 2009, but I plan to read this in hard copy as well.

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Wonderful Book

This is the first Urrea book I have read and I can't wait to read more. It was engaging from the first page; the characters were real and the situations were extremely realistic. I have been to some of the places mentioned and it was very accurate. I think this would be a good book to read for high school age kids since it is very educational and shows the bigotry the Mexican people are being subjected to whether they are here legally or not. Excellent book!

Calling Guillermo Del Toro

After having read The Hummingbird's Daughter recently, I was at first disappointed with Luis Alberto Urrea's new novel "In the Beautiful North", which seemed almost shallow and silly by comparison. Having read the whole book, I see "Beautiful" for itself and in a new light. Urrea has written a charming, entertaining and thoroughly modern story about the world of illegal immigration into the US, mostly from an otherwise unexplored female perspective. He humanizes so-called "illegals" and describes their innate love for home and family in Mexico, despite the creature comforts of life in the US. After the harsh stories of "Hummingbird" and "The Devil's Highway", perhaps Urrea craved a lighter palette.

Along the lines of "The Blues Brothers" or "O Brother Where Art Thou", Urrea casts the tale in the form of a mission, this one undertaken by three young women and a gay man to repatriate their Mexican coastal town with Mexican men living in the US. The lead characters are strongly drawn - Nayeli is a soccer star and karate expert, and a girl; Tacho is a sweet, gay cantina operator; Atomika, lord of the trash heaps of Tijuana, is seemingly from another planet. Tia Irma, the new mayor of Tres Camarones, organizes and directs so well that you wonder what Tres Camarones needs with men, at least from a government perspective. Along the way you'll read about border operations - legal, quasi-legal, and illegal. One arrest provides one of the funniest and saddest moments of the book, as does one escape, which is unexpected and hilarious. Urrea's look at Tijuana reminded me of Rohinton Mistry's India in A Fine Balance (Oprah's Book Club). Family is another theme, as one character searches for a father who split Mexico for the US long ago. That search provides a revealing look at the western US through the eyes of young, rural Mexicans.

"In the Beautiful North" would make a great movie, a la Slumdog Millionaire. Perhaps Guillermo Del Toro of Pan's Labyrinth fame would be interested. Urrea's stories about Mexico and the US deserve a bigger audience. Four stars, maybe even five for readers who've not read "Hummingbird's Daughter". My recommendation now would be to read "Into the Beautiful North" first.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Nineteen-year-old Nayeli works at a taco shop in her Mexican village and dreams about her father, who journeyed to the US to find work. Recently, it has dawned on her that he isn't the only man who has left town. In fact, there are almost no men in the village--they've all gone north. While watching The Magnificent Seven, Nayeli decides to go north herself and recruit seven men--her own "Siete Magníficos"--to repopulate her hometown and protect it from the bandidos who plan on taking it over.

Filled with unforgettable characters and prose as radiant as the Sinaloan sun, INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH is the story of an irresistible young woman's quest to find herself on both sides of the fence.

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