The Distance Between Us

In this inspirational and unflinchingly honest memoir, acclaimed author Reyna Grande describes her childhood torn between the United States and Mexico, and shines a light on the experiences, fears, and hopes of those who choose to make the harrowing journey across the border.

Reyna Grande vividly brings to life her tumultuous early years in this story of a childhood spent torn between two parents and two countries. As her parents make the dangerous trek across the Mexican border to “El Otro Lado” (The Other Side) in pursuit of the American dream, Reyna and her siblings are forced into the already overburdened household of their stern grandmother. When their mother at last returns, Reyna prepares for her own journey to “El Otro Lado” to live with the man who has haunted her imagination for years, her long-absent father.

Funny, heartbreaking, and lyrical, The Distance Between Us poignantly captures the confusion and contradictions of childhood, reminding us that the joys and sorrows we experience are imprinted on the heart forever, calling out to us of those places we first called home.

Reader Fit: Recommended for readers who appreciate memoirs of resilience, immigration, and the determination to build a better future despite extraordinary obstacles.

Why We Carry It: We carry The Distance Between Us because Reyna Grande shares the lived experience of family separation and immigration with honesty and compassion. Her memoir offers readers a deeper understanding of the sacrifices, hopes, and challenges that shape many immigrant families.