SOLITO: Javier Zamora's Incredible Journey to the United States

In “Solito,” Javier Zamora tells the story of his journey to the United States from El Salvador. Spanning three thousand miles travels through Guatemala and Mexico to reach and cross the United States border.

Javier leaves his family behind with the hope of reuniting with his mother, who moved to the United States four years ago, and his father, who left when Javier was just a baby. He travels with a group of strangers, led by a paid guide called a coyote, whose job is to help them safely reach America. Initially, Javier thought his journey would only take two weeks, and he looked forward to quickly reuniting with his parents.

However, things didn't go as planned. Those two weeks turned into several challenging months filled with dangerous boat trips, long desert walks, encounters with law enforcement, and tricky situations within the group. Javier's story reveals the harsh realities and uncertainties that people face when they pursue the dream of coming to the United States.

This was a hard review to write. On a personal level, I did enjoy this book. However, it’s important to acknowledge that this work represents a true story full of raw emotion and focusing on a sensitive subject.

Javier tells an incredible story, but I did not find the narrative style particularly captivating; I found it to drone on and on. But, despite my reservations, this is an important read and brings attention to important topics of conversation.

You can read more about Javier Zamora on his website here.