The Only Road (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016) by Alexandra Diaz is a book I wish I could get everyone to read.
After the murder of his cousin Miguel, twelve-year-old Jaime and his fifteen-year-old cousin Angela either have to join the destructive gangs in their village or leave Guatemala. To keep them safe their families spend everything they have to get the two the United States where Jaime’s brother Tomas lives. But once the two are on their way, they are on their own. They face discovery by la migra, gang violence, death by train, hunger, thievery, thirst all in their quest for a safe place to live.
The Only Road is inspired by true events (not the author’s) and is a Pura Belpré Honor book!
Alexandra Diaz has this at the head of her website: “Writing: to experience life in someone else’s shoes.” That’s one of the reasons we read and why I’d like others to read this book.
Alexandra is also the author of Good Girls Don’t Lie–a YA novel–and other books. On her bio page there are lots of links to interviews, too.