Border Child: A Novel

Hector and Lilia Santos lost everything four years ago, when U.S.-bound Lilia entrusted her infant daughter, Alejandra, to a coyote who never reappeared with the child. Back in their Mexican hometown of Puerto Isadore, Hector and Lilia struggle to move on. Then, one day, an unexpected sighting of an old acquaintance, Emanuel, reopens old hopes. Emanuel was the man who connected Lilia to the coyote at the center of their tragedy, and Hector is certain that Emanuel will know how to find Alejandra. But Hector needs money to pursue the lead Emanuel provides, and he accepts a dangerous, illegal job making deliveries for two of Emanuel’s friends. Once Hector’s journey to find Alejandra begins, life in Puerto Isadore faces new challenges, as pregnant Lilia finds herself at risk of delivering her baby far too early. At a moment of great promise, both Hector and Lilia may instead lose everything.

Told from multiple viewpoints, Border Child highlights the sacrifices and risks undertaken by those seeking a better life for those they love most. The edges of heroes and villains are blurry; Hector finds he has no definitive moral compass. A heart-wrenching portrait of a family striving to define what makes a happy life.