Solito: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Memoir

Wow! That’s really all I can say about this book! Wow! It’s truly amazing!! I LOVED it & I’m not usually a memoir type person; more of a fiction/romance reader! I read this for my book club & I am SO glad I did; I would have never heard of Mr. Zamora otherwise. ☺️ It is an AMAZING story of courage & of strength! I am truly PROUD of little “Javiercito”; it is a miracle that he made it to the U.S. (or “La USA”, as he called it 😉). I firmly believe that EVERYONE should read (or listen 🎧😉; the author does a VERY good job at reading his own book, as well as writing his own story 😊) to this book (especially the people who think that all immigrants are “criminals” & should not be allowed in the country … 😒) I am also the daughter of immigrants, but my parents were very lucky: they were both able to come on student visas & are able to stay on work permits. I also have a cousin named Carla, as well (the young girl who came with Javier to the U.S.). And to think this is STILL happening; was particularly angry when the child separation policy was put in place in this country because I knew that these children (& their parents) didn’t DESERVE that … 😡 Anyway, I truly HOPE you find Pati, Chino, & Carla (the 3 people who stayed (& PROTECTED him) with “Javiercito” despite it all), Señor Zamora! You definitely deserve it, “hermanito”! 😍❤️ A TRULY beautifully written memoir!! This should be made into a movie; it’s SO good! Truly, it had me in utter tears 😭 (in the BEST way, I assure you 😉) by the end!! 😊😍❤️ (Definitely for older readers, though (even though Javier is 9 years old during the events of the book), due to the amount of cuss words in it, both in Spanish & in English. Or possibly for late high school readers, depending on their reading level & their maturity. 😉)

It’s a fantastic story. It gives great insight to the tribulations that people go through, young and old to get to safety.

This is such an amazing read. Powerful, the way he tells his story with so much detail you can't help but fall in love with the characters.. it's amazing to think about how many people have made these sacrifices in search for a "better future". His journey will always stay with me, the struggles he encountered in the desert. All to be reunited with his parents who left to provide a better life for him. I rated four stars because unfortunately some of the pages were ripping out of my book 😭 it's a seller issue not reader.

I was very pleased to read this book. As I read this book I was seeing what he was saying. I could feel the emotions he felt. This book melted my heart! I honestly was just WOWED by this book! I cried and felt so much pain/joy/nervous and much much more! This book was a pick from my friend in the book club and I am happy to say this is going to be the book of the year for our book club! 👏🏽 Thank you!

I was by turns gripped, mesmerized, moved, and horrified by this true story of a child's journey from El Salvador to the United States in the company of strangers from his country. I know a lot about the subject and this is one of the most moving and beautifully written accounts of the difficult journey to the U.S. I have read. Its beauty and power goes beyond the topic of migration to help us understand human compassion, selflessness, dedication, and hope as well as the darker themes of betrayal and self-interest. The author manages to put us there with his vivid descriptions of the landscapes and the way he brings alive for the reader his family in El Salvador and the people who accompanied and cared for him and others he encountered on his grueling journey. A classic telling of an important American experience.

It took me a while to finish this book, not because it was bad, but because I've been irresponsible and doing things that have made me unproductive (sorry, didn't mean to vent). Anyway, I have been trying to get back into reading, and this was one of the first books I chose to get back into that world. Javier and the people reading this review, let me just say, what an AWESOME choice Solito was! I am a person who has always lived in the United States, and while I went through a lot of trauma as a child and lived in many foster homes, I was blessed. I was fortunate enough to have a home here, in this country where there is so much more freedom and resources compared to other places. This book is amazing because it gives people like me the full perspective of what some migrants went through to get here, the United States, the country I've lived in my entire 19 years of living so far. Books like these help us realize how fortunate we are to be here. We are blessed, and this book has made me more thankful for what I have. Chino, Carla, and Patricia, man, I felt so connected to them. I felt like I was with them in this adventure to La USA. Javier, you did amazing with this story. I am so proud of you for not giving up with writing this book. I know it was hard, diving deep into the wounds of our past, but there's something I've realized: the trauma of our past can really form beautiful stories that encourage others. I am just so grateful for this book. I really hope you find Chino, Patricia, and Carla and reunite with them someday. Tell Chino and Patricia I, a reader of your book named David, love them. I don't even know them, but I love them. I highly recommend this book. If you know nothing about what it's like to migrate to the United States, you're in for a treat if you pick this up.

Solito es un libro que te roba la atención desde el primer momento hasta el final. No pensé llorar pero he terminado de leer el libro llorando. Como salvadoreño le agradezco a Javier Zamora por compartir su historia, en medio de cada relato hubiera querido ser parte del grupo para poder ayudar a Javiercito y darle un abrazo cuando se sentía solo, en serio es muy emocionante su historia.

It is an excellent book. It arrived quickly and in great condition. The book is well written and very emotional. It will give you a glimpse of what immigrants must go through in order to reach the land they see as a beacon of hope. The land where they are able to have hopes and dreams.

Solido is an incredible and well-written memoir. When he was 9 years old, the author, who was living with his grandparents in El Salvador, traveled the migrant route alone through Guatamala and Mexico to the USA to join his parents. This memoir describes his heart-stopping seven week journey. A really good read that resonates with me every time I pick up a newspaper or watch the news.

Pros An incredibly detailed and personal account of the journey Central American migrants take to try and reach the USA. It gave me a better appreciation and understanding of the role and influence that coyotes have on the migrant journey. They can't simply be dismissed as all predatory, exploitative and evil purely trying to profit from the misfortune of others. Cons The amount of Spanish words included in the text in an English book becomes tedious and annoying after a while. If so much of it is lost in translation from Spanish to English, then why even release an English version? It does seem to be a extraordinary level of detail in Javier's journey recalling the events that happened over 10 - 15 years ago when he was only 9 years old. I didn't quite buy the authors explanation of this at the end of the book

A friend recommended this book and I shall now do the same to anyone who will listen. This is an incredible story about a small boy travelling from El Salvador to the US, with a small group of strangers. It written so well and you’re with Javier every step of the way. I can’t recommend enough.