I knew this one would be a heartbreaker and I wasn’t wrong. We Are Not From Here is the story of three young teenagers who undertake an unthinkable journey across borders, to escape the fear and violence of their home town in Guatemala. In her author’s note, Sanchez writes that every migrant story is different, but also that every migrant story is the same. It’s always important to remember when reading fiction about migrants that it’s impossible to pigeon hole all people who are forced to undertake such a brutal journey into one box - but also that if they didn’t *have* to undertake such a perilous journey, they wouldn’t. In the UK, rhetoric around migrants is as sickening as ever, right wingers claiming these people risk their lives just to come and sponge off the UK government - never thinking about what they’re fleeing. I wish I could force books like these into the hands of people with these views, to give them a piece of Pulga, Chico and Pequeña’s stories. 

While it’s brutal, there are some bright spots of hope, including the people who run shelters for migrants who need to rest in between the gruelling spurts of their journeys.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Marisa Blake, and I’d highly recommend that format. Thanks to Libro.fm for my free ALC!