The Border

By Marina Fitch

Book Overview

There are many borders. Between countries, cultures...and between life and death. But sometimes borders aren't as well-defined as they seem...When Rosa's papa and sister crossed the border from Mexico... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441005942
• ISBN13: 9780441005949
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Ace Books
• Length: 307 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.8" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

good up until the end

This was a good book, something i really hadn't got to read about too much. And it was really good, but some things just can't be ignored. Like, why Papa didn't send for mama, or the terrible rushed ending. But it is a good read if you are willing to overlook some things and make up your own ending. It really does have good intentions.

An ambitious, magical journey....

I loved this book. It introduced me to people and places that gave me fresh, often subtle insight into the human condition. Any journey involves sacrifice and change. The decision to move, to give up one life in the hope of a better one, is never easy. It requires courage, determination, and a willingness to take risks -- to go forward despite the reservations of friends, family, and trusted advisors. The danger can be physical, emotional, or both, and as potentially damaging as it is liberating.Rosa's journey from Mexico into the U. S. is both physical and metaphysical. The boundary formed by the U.S.-Mexico border mirrors the psychological, familial, and spiritual divisions she must bridge to provide a safe home for her unborn child, reunite with her family after years of separation, and make her life whole -- despite the racial, economic, and political obstacles erected in her path. I found the cultural, social, and geographic realism of this book absolutely convincing. The characters were believable, their motivations complex, understandable, and human. They were all well-rounded, with weaknesses as well as strengths. We all do things -- good/bad, smart/stupid, admirable/ignoble -- which we cannot always explain, not just to others but to ourselves. The Border explores the consequences of these acts, postive and negative, without heavy-handed moarlizing or judgment.What I particularly liked about the magic in the book is that it grew out of the character. Instead of Rosa being shaped by the magic she possesses, the magic is shaped by her. The power to change the world, and by extension herself, is manifested internally rather than externally. What a wonderful metaphor for the empowerment of the human spirit, which is constantly struggling to be felt in the world. Unlike the magic in so many traditional epic fantasies, Rosa doesn't have the ability to conjure lightening bolts, make herself invisible, or cause the earth to open up. What she does have is the ability to shape her life, and through her, the lives of others -- which can be one of the most hopeful messages and inspiring miracles of all.