( 16 reviews )
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Posted: Aug 6 2009
The Devil's Highway is a harsh, but relatively even-handed account of a dark chapter in US-Mexico history - the death of fourteen Mexicans trying to make their way on foot through the Arizona desert in an attempt to immigrate illegally into the U.S. So many grueling deaths would seem like a prime subject for blame assignment, but Urrea's reportorial approach attempts to tell all sides of the story. The immigrants are for the most part well-meaning providers trying to make a better life for their impoverished families in Mexico. The Border Patrol on both sides (especially the U.S) make a sincere effort to enforce its nations laws while respecting the lives of those who try to cause. Even the coyotes, young Mexicans who lead the crossings, are portrayed more as incompetent guides than murderous exploiters. This last sobriquet probably fits best on the bosses who organize the trade and hire the coyotes. To them, the immigrants are primarily sources of revenue, and once fees are collected from them the immigrants' lives are of little consequence. Policies of both the U.S. and Mexican government regarding immigration and economic policy don't come off much better. Through much of the narrative, The Devil's Highway is about as grim as Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic The Road (Oprah's Book Club), and even scarier when you realize that the events happened in real life as opposed to the author's imagination. Now almost 10 years old, the book can still serve as a cautionary tale about policies that fail to respect human life. Four stars for adult readers only.
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Posted: Jan 8 2009
I intended this book as free-time fodder in airport lounges and train compartments during a recent trip. As it happened, I didn't start reading it until last night--but once I started I couldn't put it down until I finished it this morning. It's a real page turner: both engrossing and heartbreaking. The thematic focus of the book is the infamous Yuma 14 incident, when 14 Mexican nationals died (while another 12 came close to dying) while being smuggled into the US across the Arizona border in early 2001. The book begins with a brief history of the geographical area around the so-called Devil's Highway desert crossing and the litany of death to which the landscape has laid claim since the mid-1500s. It then reports on the personal lives of the smugglers and their victims, trying to understand what motivated all of them to sign their various pacts with the devil. The bulk of the book recounts the tragic crossing itself and its aftermath, exploring along the way the various agencies, economics and politics implicated in the sad affair. It all makes for horrific, if fascinating reading. Unfortunately, the story itself fares much better than it's telling. Urrea did an admirable job researching the book, and the many tiny details he unearthed contribute to a suspense story that outpaces most suspense novels. But the pedestrian and often awkward prose really makes you appreciate the likes of Larry McMurtry and Jon Krakauer. Part of the appeal of "The Devil's Highway," at least for me, was the geographical context of the tragic events it chronicles--the desolate deserts of the American West, at once beautiful and unmerciful. And no one brings those spaces to life as evocatively as McMurtry (unless it's Cormac McCarthy, whose writing is so stunning it demands its own category). I cite Kracauer as well because his work shows that engaging and effective prose is not to be found only among writers of fiction. Sadly, Urrea is no Kracauer, and certainly no McCarthy; he is a far better investigator than he is a writer. In fact, some of the book is so poorly written you wonder whether an editor was even involved. But if you're willing to wade through writing that's sometimes as sodden as desert sand after a rainstorm (and suffer through a good share of untranslated Spanish to boot), then this book is a stunner.
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Posted: Dec 8 2008
Urrea writes a compelling and insightful, account of the disastrous trek across the border ending in the death of 14 Mexican hopefuls. The narrative begins with a brief look into the Border Patrol Agent(s)/Agency and various fragile border dynamics. The meat of the book comes in the second half and it will keep your interest as the detailed fateful journey is unfolded. This is done in part by the authors ability to create and capture the imagery of the Devils Highway landscape and history. I would recommend this book for anyone wanting a look into the shadowy Border Crossing world or just a story capturing a journey of a harsh desert landscape gone wrong in every way!
