Infinite Country : Book review





Book review

 

Title:Infinite country

Author: Patricia Engel

Genre: Literary Fiction

 

Infinite country chronicles a heart rending story of a family that faces the issues of deportation and the hardships endured by them. 

 

The book begins with 15 year old Talia who escapes from the nun managed reformed school in Columbia to catch a plane to Bogota to reunite with her family in New Jersey. However the book is more than Talia’s quest. Through a series of flashbacks, we get a glimpse into her parents’ life- right from their early marriage days to their forced separation, tough circumstances and cruel immigration policies. 

 

Written in beautiful and lyrical prose, the author covers a span of long time period, alternating between different perspectives. There are times when you wish she had spent more time on some of the characters and inserted more scenes, dialogues than just summary. 

 

Nevertheless the instances mentioned in the book evoke intense emotions from the reader. You are appalled with the conditions that the characters thrive in, how helpless beings are exploited and preyed upon giving rise to the aspect of predation. There is pain, devastation, separation and sorrow. Through her powerful sentences, Engel packs a punch highlighting the craze of the American life despite some of its imperfections. And yet the determination on the main characters’s part to survive and fight against odds is admirable. 

 

Infinite country makes you question about the concept of home. This evocative and disturbing novel will leave you with a lot of thoughts!



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