An eye-opening account of the U.S. Immigration laws and systems as told through the story of Aida Hernandez. How one person can endure such turmoil in her life is amazing and speaks to the character of the person.

The book also did a good job of giving the history and evolution of immigration laws in the U.S. of which I was sadly ignorant. ( )

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. First, it is very well done; I liked the organization of the book and the chapters which unfolded the story of Aida as well as others that were important to her life. The research and caring that went into this book is obvious.

Aida is an "illegal" having been brought to the US as a child; which truly meant that the mother moved her and her siblings across town - from AugaPrieta Mexico to Douglas Arizona. In the past this town had almost open borders with community members crossing daily for jobs, business, family, etc. With the crackdown of the borders, life becomes much more complicated. Add to that complication is a history of family violence, early sexuality, and low education levels. Aida is seemingly a bright and happy young girl in spite of much of the violence she has witnessed between her parents and between her mother and the mother's boyfriend who is also the father of Aida's two younger stepsisters. From her on, life is one major complication to the next, many of Aida's own choosing. Life is "fun" there is little sense of future responsibility; she is impulsive. A relationship with a boy leads to a child when she is sixteen.

This story is about Aida's struggle to become an American citizen in spite of all the roadblocks, legal maneuvering, family struggles, and poor decisions on her part. Along with Aida's story is the story of Ema, a soccer player from Ecuador who is a lesbian. Ema's story tells of the journey from Ecuador to the United States and her meeting of Aida in one of the detention centers in Arizona. Ema and Aida become a couple eventually move to New York City and are legally married. Chapters on Rosie Mendoza are interspersed. Rosie comes from a similar background as Aida, but has managed to bring herself out of that level of poverty; she is a counselor who has strong influence on Aida.

One of the most interesting and troubling points of this book is the legal system, immigration laws, detention centers run by non-governmental entities, and now many people (businesses) are actually benefiting from the harsh laws and enforcement of them. Really, can I imagine living in a town where one in thirteen people are employed by some arm of the law. This is also the story of Douglas Arizona, a city made by copper mining but after the mines are closed, people remain.

Truly an interesting and thought-provoking book. Interesting quote: "Don't study the poor or powerless because everything you say will be used against them." (p 350). "Even well-meaning scholarship on poor people in American has sometimes helped reinforce the objectifying assumptions through which comfortable people blame struggling people for their own suffering." I have to admit that I'm somewhat guilty after reading Aida's story; at the same time, I realize that I'm not sure I would have done any differently if I had been in those shoes. - Life is complicated! ( )

The House on Mango Street changed Aida Hernandez's life. In her darkest hours, she remembered the words of hope: "I have gone a long way to come back."

Aida wanted to dance. She wanted to finish high school and go to college. She wanted to become a therapist. She wanted to give her son a good home. She wanted to love and be loved. Her hopes were just like yours and mine.

But Aida's life held more horrors than any one body should be able to endure. She had survived even death but suffered from crippling CPTSD--Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She came from a legacy of abuse but a knife attack tipped her over the edge. It only took one mistake, a $6 mistake, to remove Aida from her son and family, locked up for months in a women's prison. They were not given tampons, or enough toilet paper, or adequate wholesome food. There were not enough beds or blankets to keep warm.

And that is when Aida saw The House on Mango Street on the prison library shelf and it started her reclamation and a life of helping the other women with her.

Aaron Bobrow-Strain's book The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez brings to life unforgettable women, and through their stories, explores the failure of Prevention Through Deterrence which posits that if the journey is horrific enough people will not come. Women suffer the most in this system.

He shows how American economic and political policies and the desire for cheap labor created the influx of illegal immigrants.

Immigrants in detention centers are treated like hardened criminals with shackles, solitary confinement, lack of medical care, meager inedible food, and a scarcity of hygiene supplies. They have no legal rights. They are provided no legal counsel. Border Patrol and detention centers have created jobs and business--paid for by the government.

Who are the people seeking refuge in America? What drives them from their homeland? What options are available for legal immigration? What happens to those who are apprehended? This book will answer all your questions. But you may not like the answers.

Justice. How many times have we forgotten this value?

The proceeds from this book will be shared between Aida Hernandez, the Chiricahua Community Health Centers to support emergency services for people dealing with domestic violence or sexual assault, and the author to offset costs of writing the book. Which for me means an instant add to my "to buy" list.

I thank the publisher who provided a free ebook through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. ( )