A Mexican teen risks everything to emigrate illegally to the U.S. to join his family and find a new life. Biding his time for six years in a backwater Mexican village, Miguel, his younger sister Elena and his grandmother survive on money his parents send monthly from California. Miguel is convinced his future also lies across la línea in California. On Miguel’s 15th birthday, his father finally sends money and instructions for Miguel to head north. But Miguel’s careful plans disintegrate when he discovers Elena has followed him. After their bus is diverted south and their money stolen, they are on their own and their only option is to steal a ride on the infamous mata gente, a freight train heading north known as the “people killer.” If they survive the ride, they still face a two-day desert trek across the U.S. border. Despite their brother-sister antipathy, Miguel and Elena stick together, escaping one danger after another to cross the border and discover what lies on the other side. A nail-biting real-life adventure. (author’s note) (Fiction. 12+)
