From the beginning, I was fully engaged in The Border Between Us, with the tense and intense situation within which author Ruiz places readers. Given the current real-life climate at our Texas border, plus the myriad of questions to be answered about this situation, I was hooked on the López family’s stories and secrets.
“In my mind and heart, the border ran through all things, including me … It was an invisible line I straddled, rather than an imaginary boundary at which I felt compelled to stop. I saw it not as a constraint, but as an invitation. Not as an end, but a beginning.”
Readers sit alongside main character Ramón López as he grows
from a boy in Brownsville, Texas, into a man of the world, ever in pursuit of
the elusive American dream. Ramón finds
that part of the reason he has trouble finding the dream is because he keeps redefining
it. Yet ultimately, he discovers that the dream was always right in front of
him. I love the small dashes of magical realism that often help light his
path.
The characters in The Border Between Us pop to life with
the artistry of Ruiz’s writing. Ruiz suffuses the people and plotlines with
authenticity and repeatedly illustrates the complexity of the human condition, particularly within the López family dynamic. Whether it’s Ramón’s guarded
father or his saint-like mother, his rogue uncle or his sage grandma, readers
will be enthralled, amused, frustrated, and yes – sometimes heartbroken as Ramón
navigates the intricacies of relationships. But we’re cheering for him all the
way, and we’re left thinking about these oh-so-real people long after closing
the book's cover.
Eddie Lopez’s near-flawless audiobook narration pairs perfectly with Ruiz’s writing for a beautiful listening experience. There are a few blips, but my only real quibble is the narrator’s mispronunciation of Harlingen, which tells me he’s not a Texan. I listened at regular speed, which is a rarity for me and shows the delivery and pacing are excellent. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to this narrator again.
Though I did listen to the audiobook initially, I snagged the eBook to re-read many of
the chapters because the passages are simply beautiful. I noted
early on that Ramón’s vocabulary, even as a boy, is exceptional and he has thoughts
that are showstoppers. For example, as he contemplates a major life change as
a young teenager, he thinks: “I wonder if the river felt liberated when it met
the sea.” As a tragedy unfolds for some high school classmates, he reflects these are, “Futures
buried in freshly turned soil.” Later, following another tragedy, he states: “Reality
is oblivious to grief.” Stunning.
The Border Between Us demonstrates literary fiction
at its finest. Ruiz’s prose is poignant and powerful, yet completely readable
and relatable: a perfect balance for this reader. I highly recommend this timely
novel and will be indulging in Ruiz’s other novels soon. Rudy Ruiz has just secured
himself on my must-read author list.
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