Detained

A boy's journal of survival and resilience

By: David Esperanza, Gerardo Iván Morales

Narrated by: Christian Barillas, Gerardo Iván Morales

A 2025 Latino Book Award Winner, Bronze Medal for Best Autobiography — English

“A shocking and moving read. A brutally honest account of the impact of family separation at the US border.”—Kirkus Reviews

The first-ever memoir of a child’s experience in detention on the US/Mexico border under President Trump’s infamous family separation policy.

D Esperanza was just thirteen years old when he lost his caregivers, his beloved grandmother and uncle. Since both of his parents were working and living in the United States, D was left on his own in a small town in Honduras. He quickly realized he simply could not make enough money to survive so he made the difficult decision to head north with his cousins and hopefully reunite with his parents in el norte.

Together, the boys struggled to survive a long and treacherous journey through Central America and Mexico. Along the way, D and his cousins formed a deep bond, only for the four to be brutally separated at the border of the United States. When he is captured and processed at a facility, neither D nor his family are given an update on when he will be released or where he’ll go next. Over the next five months, he kept a journal of his experience. The pages tell a story of pain, cruelty, friendship, and resilience, a living testament to the reality of the border. Amidst the senseless inhumanity and violence of US immigration policy, D found hope in the friendship he and his fellow companions forged, and mentorship from one intrepid advocate who fought on his behalf named Gerardo Iván Morales.

Timely, powerful, and unforgettable, Detained brings the border crisis to vivid life.

Heartbreaking yet hopeful

A must read for if you'd like to hear about a child's journey into the United States in the most pure, honest and innocent way. How he still remained hopeful and human.

We must fight this hate together

I love how Ivan is teaching him about fighting together💪🏽. this story is heartbreaking and sad , that us Americans allow this kind of hate twords children to happen is unthinkable and morally unacceptable

May God bless and protect immigrant children

I wish everyone could read or listen to this story, especially those who are blind to the truth. It’s so easy and selfish to believe we’re not all created equal and blame some vulnerable groups of people for the nation’s government failures. Let’s educate ourselves with the truth and learn to appreciate and respect each other

A hard but important book

This is a beautifully told very hard story. It should be mandatory reading for all Americans.

Must Read!!!

This is truly a book that made me cry, as someone who has very closely and personally known children and adults in the immigration system im so glad to see what this book brings into discussion. The average American needs to hear this story, we need change! I hope this book inspires you to act.