Across a Hundred Mountains

A Novel

By: Reyna Grande

Narrated by: Marisa Blake, Cynthia Farrell

Winner of the American Book Award, Across a Hundred Mountains is a “timely and riveting” (People) novel about a young woman who leaves her small Mexican town in search of her father—a story of migration, loss, and discovery.

20th Anniversary edition featuring forewords by award-winning, bestselling author Maria Amparo Escandón and celebrated playwright and father of Chicano theater, Luis Valdez.

When a sudden tragedy separates her from her mother, Juana García risks everything to track down her father, who left his family to work in the US two years earlier. Penniless and stranded at the US-Mexico border, Juana crosses paths with Adelina Vásquez, a young Californian woman who abandoned her own home to follow a lover to Mexico. Thrown together inside a harsh Tijuana jail, these two desperate strangers forge an unbreakable bond, offering each other a lifeline that ultimately links their destinies in the most unexpected of ways.

In Across a Hundred Mountains, Reyna Grande centers the humanity and courage of the immigrant experience, offering a nuanced look at the profound sacrifices made by those who cross borders and the enduring bonds of the families who wait for them.

Featuring a moving new foreword by María Amparo Escandón, an introduction by Luis Valdez, and a letter to the reader by the author reflecting on the book’s enduring legacy and the ongoing relevance of its themes, this 20th anniversary edition honors a timeless story of hope, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Critic reviews

"A Mexican teenager leaves her destitute family and tiny village to cross the U.S. border in search of her father, who left two years earlier to find work and a new start. Sounding like a cross between a folktale and news ripped from today’s headlines, bilingual narrators Cynthia Farrell and Marisa Blake find a good balance between the journalistic prose and the emotional subject matter involving loss of family and culture. The details, especially those of the girl being caught between her “coyote” handlers and U.S. Customs officials, are realistic, visceral, and heartrending. In the end, Farrell’s and Blake’s voices emphasize the glimmers of hope that make stories of immigration universal."

A good listen

As others mentioned, it can be a bit confusing with the jumping between characters and time settings, but it does come together. It was also a good length. Glad I gave it a try.

masterful story, couldnt stop listening

the story is captivating, and filled with deep moral dilemmas. Highly recommended. Very few authors can bring stories like this to light. Very intense.

Loved it!!

This store Brough back memories of Mexico and family and life in the ranch. Love it from beginning to end.

Definitely recommend

heart-wrenching

This is one of the saddest stories I've read; it hurts.
I was confused most of the way through with the story jumping back and forth between characters and with the accent and words in Spanish I just wasn't sure what was happening or who it was happening to, at times. It made more sense toward the end and I appreciated the ending.

This story is about a daughter seeking her missing father who makes her way to America.

This is a bittersweet story about a young woman whose father decides to make the trip to America for financial reasons. This trip does not go well and he goes missing with terrible repercussions. The story was filled with hardship and tragedy but it does have a ending that rounds out the narrative and brings closure. I found the narrative device used where the point of view was switched repeatedly to be somewhat confusing but eventually figured out what was going on. The narrator did a good job.