Thirteen-year-old Manuelito is a gentle boy who lives with his family in
a tiny village in the Guatemalan countryside. But life is far from
idyllic: PACs--armed civil patrol--are a constant presence in the
streets, and terrifying memories of the country's war linger in the
villagers' collective conscience. Things deteriorate further when
government-backed drug gangs arrive and take control of the village.
Fearing their son will be forced to join a gang, Manuelito's parents
make the desperate decision to send him to live with his aunt in
America.
With just a bus ticket and a small amount of cash in hand, Manuelito
begins his hazardous journey to Mexico, then the U.S., in search of
asylum. But in the end, dangers such as the crooked "coyote"--or human
smuggler--his parents have entrusted their son's life to may be nothing
compared to the risks Manuelito faces when he finally reaches America.
Manuelito's titular character is just one of the staggering one hundred
thousand children from the Northern Triangle of Central
America--Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras--who have made this
perilous journey to escape their war-torn countries. Many are now
detained in Mexico, separated from their parents and without access to
lawyers, facing the unthinkable prospect of being sent back to the homes
and danger they risked so much to escape.
Drawing on years of experience working with child refugees like
Manuelito, Elisa Amado's powerful story, illustrated with striking
poignancy by Abraham Urias, brings to light the dire circumstances of so
many children, so close to home.
