Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Line Becomes a River, Francisco Cantu

The Line Becomes a River:  Dispatches from the border by Francisco Cantu was a book that came to my attention from an NPR story about the top 10 books of 2018.  I know it is the story of a former border patrol officer.  I know it provides a visceral understanding of why building a wall is a bad idea.

Started: 7/19/2019
Completed: 7/24/2019
Recommendation: Recommended
Recommended By:  Nobody

Review:

This is a first hand account of a border patrol agent who was haunted by his job.  The horror of the deaths he witnessed, the difficulties that people experienced in the desert, and the abuse of individuals by coyotes all played upon his mind and crept into his dreams.  He became a border patrol agent to help people, to discourage border crossings and "non-designated" sites, and to care for those who needed the help of our great nation.  Over time, he could no longer participate in a system that was dehumanizing, demoralizing, and abusive.  After leaving the border patrol, he met a person who was later deported and the author tried to help the man return to his family.  The reality he experienced all around was the horror of family separation; the desperate need for deported people to return to their families; and the mortal concerns of deportees who contemplated bringing their American children to Mexico.  I will never think of the same way.

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