User:LanitaDelRey1/Solito: A Memoir

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Solito: A Memoir is a memoir by Javier Zamora, published on September 6, 2022 by Hogarth Press. The memoir tells a story of a nine-year-old boy on his journey from a small town in El Salvador to the United States to reunite with his parents.

Solito: Summary

Chapter 1:

The story of Solito begins in La Herradura, El Salvador on March 16, 1999. Through a phone call, Javier finds out he will be departing to join his parents in the U.S. after being apart for four years. On Jueves Santo, Don Chepe and Javier walk to Javier's catholic school to excuse Javier's absence in order to avoid being suspected. They lie to the nuns and tell them that Javier will miss school because of a vacation. Javier prepares to leave by giving away some of his toys to his friend. He is told he will be traveling with the same coyote as his mother. Javier's mother and father worked in the U.S. and saved up to hire a coyote for Javier’s trip. Migrant family reunifications can take a lot of time because of the significant costs involved in hiring coyotes. An estimate of Javier's coyote services is about 300 American dollars. Javier finally departed on his journey on April 6th, 1999. On that morning, Javier gets ready to leave with the help of Don Chepe, Tia Mali, and Abuelita. He says his goodbyes and receives a blessing before leaving to meet the coyote.

Chapter 2:

Chapter two begins in Tecun Uman, Guatemala on April 6th, 1999. Javier and Don Chepe meet Don Dago the coyote at the bus terminal. They meet the others in their group also traveling to the U.S. Javier is scared of Marcelo, who also happens to be from the same hometown, but Don Chepe tells him to follow Marcelo. They make it to Guatemala and they get on a bicitaxi. They make it to a storefront where they will spend the night and they all get to introduce themselves. Don Chepe introduces himself and Javier to the group and asks that they care for Javier once he leaves. Don Dago gives the group a fake Mexican ID to memorize. They get delayed leaving to Mexico for two weeks and Marcelo threatens Don Dago. Javier and Don Chepe call their family to tell them they will be crossing to Mexico the next day. The next day, Javier hugs his grandfather goodbye and they both get emotional. Javier is now alone. He gets on the bus to go to Mexico with Don Dago and the rest of the group.

Chapter 3:

Chapter three begins in Ocos, Guatemala on April 17, 1999. Javier is sharing a room with Patricia and Carla because he is too scared to be around the men of the group. Travel plans are changed last minute and instead of taking the bus to Mexico, they will be taking boats to get there. They get on the boats and Javier notices Marta is not there anymore. The long bumpy boat ride makes them get sick. People are throwing up and it's cold and dark. Patricia helps keep Javier warm. They make it to Mexico after hours of being in bumpy water.

Chapter 4:

Chapter four begins in Oaxaca, Mexico on April 29th, 1999. They arrive at a motel and get ready in less than three minutes each. Don Dago is not there, they have a new coyote. They get on a bus to go to Mexico City. They all get caught at a checkpoint on the bus and are kicked off. The officers take their belongings and they are searched at gunpoint. The officers ask them to pay a bribe so that they won’t get deported. After a physical altercation occurs, the coyote pays the officers off and the group is left to walk on the road for hours. Marcelo teaches the group English curse words and they cuss as they walk. Two strangers in a grey vehicle pick them up from the side of the road and they start driving to Acapulco.

Solito: Characters

Throughout the novel, Zamora introduces the audience to many characters that play important roles in Javier's journey. These characters give the audience insight into the lives of immigrants and the immigrant experience.

Javier

Javier Zamora is the protagonist of this memoir and writes from the perspective of his childhood self. Javier's character has to leave the school he loves to begin his journey of joining his parents in the U.S. Javier experiences having a crush, hunger, danger, and the fear of being taken back to El Salvador throughout his journey. His experience, although dangerous, is light-hearted and humorous being told through a child's perspective.

Tía Mali

Tía Mali is Javier's mother's sister. She has a close relationship with Javier and oftentimes tells him about her dating experiences and gossip. She is described as having stinky feet.

Patricia

Patricia is Javier's mother figure during his trip. Her daughter, Carla, is jealous of this relationship at times. Patricia tends to Carla and Javier and she pretends to be his mother during dangerous situations.

Chino

Chino, the father figure for Javier during his trip, helps Javier, Patricia, and Carla by being the male figure to protect them from potential danger. He is from the same hometown as Patricia and Carla.

Carla

Carla is Patricia's daughter who speaks about being reunited with her father and sibling. She does not like Javier at times but he has a crush on her.

Javier’s Father

Javier's father lives in the U.S. with Javier's mother. Javier's father migrated from El Salvador because of the political climate. The homicide rate in El Salvador the year the memoir took place was 17 per 100,000.

Javier’s Mother

Javier's mother moved to the U.S. because there were not any jobs for her in El Salvador. She was one of 465,433 Salvadoreans who migrated to the U.S. in the 1990s, which was when Solito took place.

Don Chepe

Don Chepe is Javier's grandfather. He used to have a drinking problem and would get aggressive. Increases in political conflict can lead to the likelihood of alcoholism and violent behaviors. https://www.bmj.com/content/321/7254/169.short?casa_token=08FSiP_MkDIAAAAA:nIr0v0OhxdyqIj8q4rVeZHjfrNbt955LrCeP9gGTCSr1HYZy5nV8m2pI3djxpVA6ktokmvpcSg (Cite) Javier mentions these aggressive outbursts throughout the novel. Don Chepe likes to dress nicely whenever leaving his home and cares about Javier deeply.

Abuelita Neli

Abuelita Neli is Javier's grandmother and is depicted as a homemaker. She cooks, cleans, and tends for the family.

Don Dago

Don Dago is described as a mysterious person and not much is said about him. He is Javier's initial coyote. A coyote is a person who helps smuggle immigrants into the United States.

Marcelo

Marcelo is from Javier's hometown. Don Chepe tells Javier to stay close to Marcelo during the trip but Javier does not trust Marcelo. Mareclos has tattoos that make him intimidating to Javier.

Chele

Chele is part of the original group of migrants and he ends up betraying them. He gets along with Marcelo.

Marta

Marta is part of the initial group but she disappeared without explanation. She was suspected to be sleeping with Don Dago. Not much is said about her character.

Reception

The Kirkus wrote in a review "The harrowing journey of a 9-year-old Salvadoran boy through Guatemala and Mexico to rejoin his parents in the U.S."

The Los Angeles Times wrote in a review "In his new memoir, “Solito,” Zamora recounts his days crossing the scorching Sonoran Desert, getting detained by Border Patrol agents, meeting strangers along the way who protected him."

The Washington Post wrote in a review "This memoir, “Solito,” which means “alone” in Spanish, recounts in gripping and graphic detail his boyhood travels to Gringolandia, that mythic land of big dreams and Big Macs."

The New York Times acclaimed Solito for being a beautiful and important work, calling Javier Zamora someone who “writes like someone who cannot afford to forget” (cite)

Solito was compared to Gulwali Passarlay’s The Lightless Sky by Big Issue newspaper due to similar themes of child refugee and migrant experience. (cite)

References[edit]

• ^ Villavicencio, Karla Cornejo (2022-09-08). "The Harrowing Migration Story of One 9-Year-Old Child". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
• ^ Jampel, Serena (2023-01-31). "'Solito' Review: Is Empathy Enough?". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
• ^ "Solito: A Read with Jenna Pick by Javier Zamora: 9780593498088 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2024-11-09.
• ^ SOLITO. Kirkus Reviews.
• ^ Pineda, Dorany (2022-09-15). "At 9, Javier Zamora walked 4,000 miles to the U.S. At 29, he was ready to tell the story". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
• ^ Roberts, Steven V. (2022-09-22). "Review: A migrant child's long journey to Gringolandia". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-04-11.
• Gilbert, S. (2022, September 8). Solito by Javier Zamora: A memoir of resilience. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/08/books/review/solito-javier-zamora.html.
• Graham, J. (2022, September 8). Solito by Javier Zamora review: A beguiling memoir, effortlessly evocative of time and place. The Big Issue. https://www.bigissue.com/culture/books/solito-by-javier-zamora-review-a-beguiling-memoir-effortlessly-evocative-of-time-and-place/