THE BORDER BETWEEN US
By Rudy Ruiz
Literary Fiction
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Pages: 256
Publication Date: August 27, 2024
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*** SYNOPSIS ***
The Border Between Us is a poignant coming-of-age novel from one of the most exciting voices in fiction.
Ramón López was born along the US–Mexico border but is determined to get out and embrace the American dream—and he’s not sure whether his complicated family is a help or a hindrance. As the son of immigrants, as Ramón grows, his admiration for his entrepreneurial father sours as he watches his dad’s dreams of success wither on the vine. Ramón’s mother is constantly preoccupied with his younger brother, who struggles with intellectual disabilities. And the outside world is rife with danger and temptations threatening to distract Ramón from his dreams of making it to New York and succeeding as an artist.
As dreams clash with reality and values conflict with desires, Ramón finds the American dream within his reach—but will it demand too big a sacrifice?
Award-winning author Rudy Ruiz brilliantly captures the beauty and the danger of border life as Ramón struggles to understand his home and his place in the world. The Border Between Us is a stunning, compassionate story about a son’s fraught relationship with his father, the challenges of pursuing a creative life when you come from humble beginnings, and the power of embracing the whole of who you are.
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*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR ***
Rudy Ruiz is the author of The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez and Valley of Shadows. He is a winner of the Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction, the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction, and multiple International Latino Book Awards. A bilingual native of the US–Mexico border, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Harvard University. Rudy lives and writes in Texas and New England with his wife and children. Meet him on social media and on his website:
WEBSITE ◆ X/TWITTER ◆ AMAZON ◆ GOODREADS
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*** REVIEW ***
What a stunning novel!
This is one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. It’s so beautifully written with many underlying messages about family, faith, culture, hope, dreams, and more, and I cheered Ramon on every mile of his life’s journey toward adulthood
The way Ramon evolves from that young boy who idolized his father, to pulling away from him as a teen and young adult, to finally discovering what kind of a man his father was, and what kind of a man he, Ramon, is now is pitch perfect. There is incredible emotional depth to the characters, felt so strongly in times of conflict and in times of healing, and the changes are not predictable, making each new discovery a delight for the reader.
The Border Between Us isn’t a story only about the physical border between Mexico and the United States, although that plays a significant role. There’s also the border between a father and a son when they grapple with the differences between them and the son realizes that the father is not quite the man he thought he was. It’s also the border between the very poor and the very wealthy – and even those in between. And the underlying message for Ramon, and perhaps for the reader, is how important it is to go beyond those borders when possible, and maybe to learn to live within the constraints when necessary.
Written in first person from the POV of Ramon, we get insights like this: “In my mind and heart, the border ran through all things, including me. It was a wavering high wire I always balanced upon, my center of gravity invariably and incessantly shifting from one side to the other in an instinctive search for equilibrium.”
Haven’t we all felt that way at times, even if we’ve never faced the great cultural divide that Ramon does?
In Ramon’s efforts to achieve the great American Dream, he is influenced by people who are much further along toward success, only to discover that there are those who take shortcuts and achieve much on the backs of others. Ramon, like many somewhat naïve creative people, is conflicted about this and struggles to sort out what direction he can, and should, take with his art career.
This story, like so many that focus on the human condition, highlights the importance of understanding how our life is shaped in so many small ways that we often overlook because of the larger things that happen. And things don’t always pan out according to our plan. Ramon gets this sage advice from a family friend, and it’s advice that we can all take to heart. “We must be thankful for what we have,” Primo Fernandez concluded. “Even if it’s not exactly what we want.”
Ramon’s response in the narrative: I nodded, wishing I’d been more grateful when I’d had the chance.
I hope I never have to say that about anything, or anyone, in my life.
When I finished the book I was moved to tears, triggered by the absolutely perfect way the story ended. Not wanting to let it go, I even read the acknowledgments, and I urge every reader to do the same and really focus on the very last sentence.
The Border Between Us is a powerful story, and while painted in tones that feel soft and poetic, the author hasn’t shied away from digging into challenging emotional themes. Grab a copy and enjoy the ride!
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