Odyssey to the North

by Susan Giersbach Rascon (Translator), Mario Bencastro

Fiction. Latino/a Studies. Translated from the Spanish by Susan Giersbach Rascon. Showing both the heartbreak and the humor of life in a strange culture, award-winning author Mario Benecastro creates a caring portrait of Calixto as he seeks not only work, but safety from unjust persecution in his homeland. The even-tempered prose of this quietly resolute political novel gives voice to a generation of Central American immigrants...The novel's dramatic tension emerges through a series of interpolated flashbacks. Through an artful collage of the conversations between [the hero] Calixto and his friends, news reports, courtroom transcripts, love letters, and anecdotes, Bencastro documents the hardships Calixto suffers...Unpretentious and reportorial, Benecastro's tone is welcomingly understated -- and his message is more powerful for it -- Publishers Weekly.

Genres: Fiction, Spanish Literature

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Alaíde Ventura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Juega con la forma, eso está bien. Plano, pero con destellos chingones.

[Cid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latinx Literature course

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely difficult read but incredibly powerful and moving. The narrative form sheds light on the language of dehumanization built into US policy, economic and legal systems, as well as the role of neo-colonialism and US empire on immigration. Bencastro also humanizes the immense strength and resilience of undocumented immigrants.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fact that it is set in DC and that it was a translation got me through to the end, but the writing is extremely simple and spare.

[Harry E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story. Powerful indictment on US Immigration policy. Read for school and Professor did not honor this as they should have.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ Such a beautiful story about the journey of many immigrants trying to make it into the United States and the difficulties and barriers they experience.

[Shushan · Rating 3 out of 5]

EDIT———
After speaking to the author, I found so many nuances that were lost to poor translation. Such a shame.

This book serves as a great account of Salvadorian immigrants and their struggles coming in. However the book is incredibly simplistic and does nothing special.

[Heather Sobek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latino literature.

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads more like nonfiction than true fiction but it is a heartbreaking story of what so many Latin American immigrants go through.