The Beast by Oscar Martinez
Book Review
This book is intense. But SO eye opening. I have a lot of thoughts... so bear with me 😅.
I have to back-up and say that my purchase of this book was ultimately thanks to American Dirt. I originally purchased American Dirt, but ended up returning it after I saw all the backlash against the author and the problematic behavior and comments from her and her publishing company (if you haven’t heard about it - google it). Clearly I need to do more research before I support authors by buying their books.
After doing my research to find an authentic narrative about the journey of Central American migrants to the United States, I found this nonfiction gem by Salvadoran journalist, Óscar Martínez. The book reads more like a series of chronological articles rather than a singular narrative, as Martínez and his photographer tag-along with a variety of different migrants, government officials and others throughout the perilous journey across Mexico to the US border. They encounter narcos, thieves, gangs, sex workers, kidnappings, murders and tragic accidents.
At one point Martínez comes across a man who lost a leg to “the beast” (the trains many migrants ride atop to travel across Mexico). Despite his condition and near-death experience, the man was still determined to continue his journey north.
Honestly this book blew my mind. I had a bit of a hard time working through the second half, but I’m so glad I read it in it’s entirety. As an American in the age of Trump 😓😖, I feel like I’m constantly bombarded with headlines about “the border” and “illegal immigrants”, but rarely do I hear about the actual immigrant experience of our southern neighbors. This book brings to light the conditions that drive migrants to leave their homes in hope of a better future as well as the inevitable travesties and misery they endure along the way.
Also, side-note, this country needs to stop referring to people as “illegal”. No human can be “illegal”. Undocumented, yes, illegal, no.
Up next on my book journey to educate myself about the immigrant experience, I plan to read The Undocumented Americans as well as Dear America. If you have any other recs, drop me a comment!
