“And maybe there is no nation or citizenry; they’re just territories mapped in place of family, in place of love, the infinite country.”
Talia was sent to a juvenile facility in the Colombian mountains after committing a sudden act of violence in retribution for horrible animal cruelty. (Was what she did more extreme than what the person did? She doesn't think so.) She doesn’t feel she belongs there and is desperate to get home to her father in Bogota.
One night she and some of the other teenage girls escape from the facility. Talia must make it home so she can catch a flight and finally be reunited with her mother and siblings, who have been living in America. If she gets caught or somehow doesn’t make it home in time, she might miss her chance to ever get to America.
Infinite Country is the story of two generations. It follows Mauro and Elena, Talia’s parents, as they fall in love as teenagers in Colombia and try to build a life together in America, only to be thwarted by immigration issues. It traces their path as they are forced to make a decision that splits the family.
The book juxtaposes their story with Talia’s, as she tries to get home. She wonders whether leaving her father for America is the right decision, or whether she should stay with the parent who knows her. It’s an all-too-familiar struggle faced by families.
I thought Infinite Country was gorgeously written and it brimmed with emotion. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of the storytelling choices Engel made—all of a sudden the narration in the book switches to two other people that hadn’t yet had a role in the story. But it’s a minor thing, really, amidst the beauty of her writing.
So grateful to have read this with a friend of mine on Bookstagram. Thanks for the discussion and for encouraging me to read this!
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