Infinite Country
- Downloads：4921
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-03-28 09:12:26
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Patricia Engel
- ISBN：1982159464
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here and here。
I often wonder if we are living the wrong life in the wrong country。
Talia is being held at a correctional facility for adolescent girls in the forested mountains of Colombia after committing an impulsive act of violence that may or may not have been warranted。 She urgently needs to get out and get back home to Bogotá， where her father and a plane ticket to the United States are waiting for her。 If she misses her flight， she might also miss her chance to finally be reunited with her family in the north。
How this family came to occupy two different countries， two different worlds， comes into focus like twists of a kaleidoscope。 We see Talia’s parents， Mauro and Elena， fall in love in a market stall as teenagers against a backdrop of civil war and social unrest。 We see them leave Bogotá with their firstborn， Karina， in pursuit of safety and opportunity in the United States on a temporary visa， and we see the births of two more children， Nando and Talia， on American soil。 We witness the decisions and indecisions that lead to Mauro’s deportation and the family’s splintering—the costs they’ve all been living with ever since。
Award-winning， internationally acclaimed author Patricia Engel， herself a dual citizen and the daughter of Colombian immigrants， gives voice to all five family members as they navigate the particulars of their respective circumstances。 And all the while， the metronome ticks: Will Talia make it to Bogotá in time？ And if she does， can she bring herself to trade the solid facts of her father and life in Colombia for the distant vision of her mother and siblings in America？
Rich with Bogotá urban life， steeped in Andean myth， and tense with the daily reality of the undocumented in America， Infinite Country is the story of two countries and one mixed-status family—for whom every triumph is stitched with regret， and every dream pursued bears the weight of a dream deferred。
I often wonder if we are living the wrong life in the wrong country。
Talia is being held at a correctional facility for adolescent girls in the forested mountains of Colombia after committing an impulsive act of violence that may or may not have been warranted。 She urgently needs to get out and get back home to Bogotá， where her father and a plane ticket to the United States are waiting for her。 If she misses her flight， she might also miss her chance to finally be reunited with her family in the north。
How this family came to occupy two different countries， two different worlds， comes into focus like twists of a kaleidoscope。 We see Talia’s parents， Mauro and Elena， fall in love in a market stall as teenagers against a backdrop of civil war and social unrest。 We see them leave Bogotá with their firstborn， Karina， in pursuit of safety and opportunity in the United States on a temporary visa， and we see the births of two more children， Nando and Talia， on American soil。 We witness the decisions and indecisions that lead to Mauro’s deportation and the family’s splintering—the costs they’ve all been living with ever since。
Award-winning， internationally acclaimed author Patricia Engel， herself a dual citizen and the daughter of Colombian immigrants， gives voice to all five family members as they navigate the particulars of their respective circumstances。 And all the while， the metronome ticks: Will Talia make it to Bogotá in time？ And if she does， can she bring herself to trade the solid facts of her father and life in Colombia for the distant vision of her mother and siblings in America？
Rich with Bogotá urban life， steeped in Andean myth， and tense with the daily reality of the undocumented in America， Infinite Country is the story of two countries and one mixed-status family—for whom every triumph is stitched with regret， and every dream pursued bears the weight of a dream deferred。
Reviews
T
，
Immigrants and the choices they're forced to make for life in the USA。 The characters in this novel seemed very flat。 I would have especially liked more depth in Talia's tale。 One character was fearful of applying for DACA while eligible in case this was denied or alerted the authorities to relatives。 Immigrants and the choices they're forced to make for life in the USA。 The characters in this novel seemed very flat。 I would have especially liked more depth in Talia's tale。 One character was fearful of applying for DACA while eligible in case this was denied or alerted the authorities to relatives。 。。。more
Shannon
，
Writing down my thoughts to help me process my feelings for this book because this is a tough one。This book took me a long time to read。 For some reason every time I picked this book up I put it back down after only a chapter and then had to force myself to pick it up again。 I think the writing had something to do with this on both a mechanical and philosophical level。 I often had to reread the same sentence several times to process what I was reading/what was going on in the sentence， which is Writing down my thoughts to help me process my feelings for this book because this is a tough one。This book took me a long time to read。 For some reason every time I picked this book up I put it back down after only a chapter and then had to force myself to pick it up again。 I think the writing had something to do with this on both a mechanical and philosophical level。 I often had to reread the same sentence several times to process what I was reading/what was going on in the sentence， which is uncommon for me （it made me feel like I was reading Dickens again， which is a yikes from me）。 The writing also seemed to just summarize the characters' lives instead of allowing me to live it with the characters; I did not get enough little moments that let me see them as people， so I felt that I did not know or care about them as much as I wanted to。 This writing choice made sense by the end of the book， but still led to me not really connecting to the characters （which is a must for me to enjoy a book）。This book also took me about 120 pages to get into。 In another book that might not be a problem， but this book is only about 190 pages， so I was disengaged for over half of the book。 However， those last 70-ish pages were very enjoyable。 in fact， I would give Chapter 26 on its own five stars。 I really enjoyed a lot of the ideas/themes that the author presented: all countries have positives and negatives， the struggles of a family split across distance， feeling like you don't belong anywhere/in two places at once。 I also enjoyed seeing a little more about Karina and Nando， who up until that point were truly just names on the page。 This story is supposedly about a family， but it really seems to focus mainly on Elena and Mauro， sometimes on Talia and rarely on the other two children （or even Perla）。 Ultimately， I think this story could have been better （for me） from being a little longer。 That would give me more time to get to see more about the characters， which would have allowed me to fully connect with the characters 。。。more
Wendy
，
Really 4。5 A look at how migration affects families。 It took me a bit to get into this book but I found myself feeling anguish along with these well developed characters。 The love hate relationship is just one of the many contrasts utilized in this novel so appropriate for our time！
Kaitlin
，
Such a beautifully written book--I want to re-read it again and again！ A heartbreaking own voices story featuring a separated immigrant family from Colombia。 Reference to current events makes the story feel like it could be a work of nonfiction （and in many ways， it is）。 10/10 recommend。
Megan
，
Truly beautiful
Shelbi Starr
，
Cue the tears。 I loved this book。 It was so beautifully written and really invites the reader into an experience that needs to be learned from。 Powerful and poignant。
Kate
，
Beautiful。 Engel’s writing is alive and sparkles and crackles。 I loved it。
Meghan
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There is only the path you make。 ~ Patricia Engel
Lisa Welch
，
A quick， thought-provoking read。 Unlike other books I've read about the journey some take to come to live in the USA， this one focused more on the development of the characters and their internal thoughts and experiences （not so much on the actual journey itself）。 I also loved how the author explored the similarities and differences between the USA and other countries that people choose to flee to come to the USA。 I do wish this one was a bit longer and explored more of the experiences of Talia' A quick， thought-provoking read。 Unlike other books I've read about the journey some take to come to live in the USA， this one focused more on the development of the characters and their internal thoughts and experiences （not so much on the actual journey itself）。 I also loved how the author explored the similarities and differences between the USA and other countries that people choose to flee to come to the USA。 I do wish this one was a bit longer and explored more of the experiences of Talia's brother and sister。 。。。more
Emily Clark
，
This was a beautiful story about a family’s fight to be together again。 This novel looks at the trials and tribulations that immigrants go through， including the need to separate your own family to survive and to have a better life。 It was a great read！
Mandy
，
Powerful， moving， insightful – easy to run out of terms to describe this story of migration and displacement， of a family torn apart in their efforts to make a better life for their children。 Escaping poverty and lack of opportunity in Colombia they manage to get to the US， where they find not only more poverty and a similar lack of opportunity， but where their undocumented status leads to deportation。 Each of the five main characters has their voice in turn and we share in their fears， worries Powerful， moving， insightful – easy to run out of terms to describe this story of migration and displacement， of a family torn apart in their efforts to make a better life for their children。 Escaping poverty and lack of opportunity in Colombia they manage to get to the US， where they find not only more poverty and a similar lack of opportunity， but where their undocumented status leads to deportation。 Each of the five main characters has their voice in turn and we share in their fears， worries and predicaments。 It’s a novel of great emotion but one that remains balanced and never descends into melodrama。 Throughout their fractured life they all remain dignified， resilient and strong and the reader roots for them throughout。 The novel is well-written and well-paced， and the ending is not predictable。 A wonderful evocation of the life of migrants and especially of a mixed-status family and a novel that enhanced my understanding of what it’s like to be undocumented in a country that makes it so difficult just to survive。 。。。more
Melanie
，
Sometimes I struggle with Latin American literature， and I will openly admit that I think it's tied to my own lack of knowledge and barriers in my understanding of the language and culture （in this case， Colombian）。 I studied French in high school and college and only took one Latin American studies class in college。 Because of that， sometimes I feel a distance from the characters that I wish I could close or at least reduce。Initially， this started off fine， and then it felt a bit slow in the mi Sometimes I struggle with Latin American literature， and I will openly admit that I think it's tied to my own lack of knowledge and barriers in my understanding of the language and culture （in this case， Colombian）。 I studied French in high school and college and only took one Latin American studies class in college。 Because of that， sometimes I feel a distance from the characters that I wish I could close or at least reduce。Initially， this started off fine， and then it felt a bit slow in the middle， and I genuinely appreciated it by the end。 In fact， tears welled up on the penultimate page （at the mention of "kittenish whimpers"）。 It's a compact， heartbreaking， and ultimately hopeful read about immigration， separation， dislocation， and a family straddling cultures and geographical borders。I wanted to feel closer than I did to the characters earlier in the text， but by the end， I did feel that I had a clear enough understanding of each to sympathize and champion their efforts to be a unified family once again。 。。。more
Megan
，
Absolutely amazing。 I can picture this being a “classic” in the future。 Ugh， so good。 Quick read too。
Gaisha Ogball
，
The end brought me to tears。 Such an amazing book！
Holly Hillard
，
This book was very powerful and shows an intimate picture of the struggles and joys of a Colombian family and their journey to and within the United States。
Jason McCracken
，
It was okay but I never felt fully connected with any character。 The scene with the cat made me :-（
Mich Elle
，
The books get gradually better through the series。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Michelle0915
，
The story is compelling。 Good job writer！ If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Celestegreen0915
，
The books are totally deserving。 I loved them， and I think they are must read。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Rachel
，
This is a small novel that carries quite the punch。 It's the story of a young family who has emigrated from Colombia to the United States， with one child born in Colombia， and two more who were born in the United States。 The story takes place in both countries over the span of many years。 This book is heavy and comes with a lot of grief。 It does the amazing job of humanizing immigrants who have come to the US。 These are people who are coming to America， a very flawed country that treats them poo This is a small novel that carries quite the punch。 It's the story of a young family who has emigrated from Colombia to the United States， with one child born in Colombia， and two more who were born in the United States。 The story takes place in both countries over the span of many years。 This book is heavy and comes with a lot of grief。 It does the amazing job of humanizing immigrants who have come to the US。 These are people who are coming to America， a very flawed country that treats them poorly， not because it's a magical utopia， but because of great turmoil and harm happening in their beloved home country。 Engel has written a terribly sad story， but it's also filled with great hope。 One of the beautiful things about books， is their ability to help us better see and understand the world from another's perspective。 Engel does it masterfully in this novel。 "What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy？ The previous month， on its own soil， an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers， and last spring alone there were four different school shootings。 A nation at war with itself， yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise。” 。。。more
Aileen
，
Oh， my heart。
Karelisse Poventud
，
This is a short read and easy to do in one sitting。 A story of a Columbian family that move to America and 2 of their 3 children born in the US。 I'm not familiar with Columbian legends and folklore but I loved the stories the author entwined making the overall story of the family even more beautiful and intriguing。 It even makes the cover of the book even more appealing。 Sharing their culture and still trying to pass it down even dealing with the struggles of separation， deportation and discrimi This is a short read and easy to do in one sitting。 A story of a Columbian family that move to America and 2 of their 3 children born in the US。 I'm not familiar with Columbian legends and folklore but I loved the stories the author entwined making the overall story of the family even more beautiful and intriguing。 It even makes the cover of the book even more appealing。 Sharing their culture and still trying to pass it down even dealing with the struggles of separation， deportation and discrimination。 I personally enjoyed reading this book because I finally got to "hear" the side of a story that many of us don't get to hear and truly understand the families that have to live with this fear。 。。。more
K Meredith
，
This book is excellent。 I can’t come up with words to express how I felt reading it。 It’s just so very well done。CW for rape
Madi
，
"What was it about [the United States] that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy？" "What was it about [the United States] that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy？" 。。。more
Amy Carlson
，
Quick read but intimate portrayal of one family’s struggle。 Unique approach so you get perspectives from all characters in the family。
Amanda
，
Beautiful story about a family coming to North America。 Puts in perspective what people go through and how they are treated。
Bri
，
3。8
Brianna Vinci
，
Beautiful and perfect。
Heidi
，
This book entranced me and lost me， and that was the rhythm throughout the book。 Trying to find the reasons now。。。 I think it's because Engel tried to accomplish so much in a relatively quick read。 （The ending even acknowledges that incompleteness。） At a point， all of a sudden， the style changed—which I resistingly welcomed and then could see as essential for the story—but then very few chapters were given to these new characters and perspectives。 Incomplete。 The entrancing moments are memorable This book entranced me and lost me， and that was the rhythm throughout the book。 Trying to find the reasons now。。。 I think it's because Engel tried to accomplish so much in a relatively quick read。 （The ending even acknowledges that incompleteness。） At a point， all of a sudden， the style changed—which I resistingly welcomed and then could see as essential for the story—but then very few chapters were given to these new characters and perspectives。 Incomplete。 The entrancing moments are memorable， indeed， when Engel's words flowed like poetry and I'd reread over and over tear-stirring descriptions and riveting myths。 。。。more
Katie
，
Scribd audio and Kindle。 BOTM February 2021 selection。 Reese Witherspoon March 2021 selection。 A decent immigrant story of a family from Colombia。 Reminded me a little of American Dirt but not as fast paced。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Infinite Country
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Infinite Country&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Infinite Country&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0