The Distance Between Us: Book summary and reviews of The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande

The Distance Between Us Summary

After publishing two acclaimed and award-winning novels about the Mexican immigrant experience and the families forced to navigate its twists and turns, celebrated author Reyna Grande reveals her own troubled and triumphant story as an illegal immigrant in the heartfelt memoir The Distance Between Us.

Born in Mexico and raised by her grandparents after her parents left to find work in the U.S., at nine years old, Reyna enters the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant to live with her father. Filled with hope, she quickly realizes that life in America is far from perfect. Her father isn't the man she dreamed about all those years in Mexico. His big dreams for his children are what gets them across the border, but his alcoholism and rage undermine all his hard work and good intentions. Reyna finds solace from a violent home in books and writing, inspired by the Latina voices she reads. After an explosive altercation, Reyna breaks away, going on to become the first person in her family to obtain a higher education, earning a college degree and then an M.F.A. in Creative Writing.

At a time when immigration politics are at a boiling point in America, Reyna Grande is an important public voice for Mexican Americans and immigrants of every origin. The Distance Between Us has the power to change minds and hearts.

The Distance Between Us Reviews

"Starred Review. Recounting her story without self-pity, she gracefully chronicles the painful results of a family shattered by repeated separations and traumas." - Publishers Weekly

"Brave memoir." - Library Journal

"A standout immigrant coming-of-age story." - Kirkus

"In this poignant memoir about her childhood in Mexico, Reyna Grande skillfully depicts another side of the immigrant experience - the hardships and heartbreaks of the children who are left behind...Grande sheds light on the often overlooked consequence of immigration - the disintegration of a family." - Sonia Nazario, Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of Enrique's Journey

The information about The Distance Between Us shown above was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's online-magazine that keeps our members abreast of notable and high-profile books publishing in the coming weeks. In most cases, the reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the reviews shown do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, please send us a message with the mainstream media reviews that you would like to see added.

The Distance Between Us Reader Reviews

Write your own review

Rated of 5 by Louise J
A Mesmerizing Memoir!!
This story captured my heart from the beginning to the end. It was so eloquently written with such a descriptive narrative that I could literally feel and smell and see the sights around me. From the dust on the ground to the feel of the dirt and mud clinging to my feet to the taste of the medicine Abuela Evila used to rid the children of worms.

This memoir is one I won’t soon forget and is now part of my permanent collection. I loved ‘The Glass Castle’ by Jeannette Walls but The Distance Between Us has that beat by a long shot. If you want an unbelievable read, don’t miss this one, it definitely gets a thumbs up from me.

Reyna Grande is the author of two award-winning novels. Across a Hundred Mountains received an American Book Award, and Dancing with Butterflies was the recipient of an International Latino Book Award. Reyna lives in Los Angeles.