When I began reading The Devil's Highway, I knew that the book was creative nonfiction, meaning that Luis Urrea used methods of fiction to write the story. And of course, there is a very valid reason for the use of fiction methods: the main characters in the story, the Yuma 14, were all dead. They all died trying to cross the border into the US by means of a dangerous and deadly desert. When Urrea began to research this book, I'm sure he had to think long and hard how he wanted to present the information to the public.
I want to say that I thought The Devil's Highway way by far the most thought-provoking and terrifying book that we have read in class so far. It is also my favorite book of the class, and I am glad that we had a chance to read it. What I appreciate about the book is the fact that it is creative nonfiction. Rather than write a book loaded with fact and speculative assumptions, Urrea created a story out of the ordeal, one that people on either side of the border could relate to, and one that helps me personally understand and process the story. One of the most effective uses of the writing form is when Urrea describes what most likely happened at a certain point, such as telling the story of a day in the life of a Border Patrol agent, also called La Migra by people who try to cross the border (21-6), or the long journey through the desert from the perspective of the men who tried to cross. Being a writer myself, I think I would be able to get some writing tips from Urrea, although I hope to not have to write about something as sad as the Yuma 14.
I wonder how the men who crossed the desert would react to the book if they had had the chance to read it. Would they like the way Urrea described their lives in the worst moment, their deaths? Or would they think that he did an accurate interpretation of what happened? I know these are unanswerable questions that will forever go in a circle, but it is intriguing to think about. Also, what would the men think of the way Urrea portrays Mendez, the young coyote that took them across the desert? He is cast as a victim himself, who was taken over by the circumstances same as the other men. Personally, I can't make any decisions because I do not know enough about the situation, or the coyote Mendez. Forming opinions on anything that has to do with the Yuma 14 would be entirely based on The Devil's Highway, which tries to even the playing field for everyone.
Rikki, I also found this book to be my favorite book we have read. In the beginning, I was a little frustrated with Urrea's writing style because it seemed to jump around, but soon I realized how engaging it was and found that I strongly enjoyed re-reading portions of the text in order to pick up on more details. It is no surprise that the book is so popular because I found it incredibly powerful and I have not even been in a similar situation or had any family members who attempted to cross the Desolation.
ReplyDeleteI liked the questions you proposed in your final paragraph. Though some of the questions cannot be answered, I wonder about the opinions of the families of the men who died. Do you think the text was translated into Spanish in order for individuals who speak only Spanish to read about the final days of their loved ones?
The Devil's Highway was also my favorite book. I've only read one other creative non-fiction book and it was wonderfully engaging and incredibly sobering as well. I think this is a genre I would like to read more of.
ReplyDeleteA day in the life of the Migra was an especially interesting part of the book for me, too. I didn't really consider the importance of the point of view of the Border Control before. But their perspective is unique and important to understand when thinking about border issues.
The questions you ask are interesting. Something makes me think that the men wouldn't have appreciated Urrea's portrayal of Mendez. I think it'd be very hard from the immigrants point of view to see Mendez, their coyote, as a victim in this situation.
Rikki, glad you enjoyed this book. The numbers can be kind of confusing.There were actually 26 men in all (the Wellton 26), but 14 of them died (the Yuma 14). Do you think this work was so captivating because it was a true story, or because Urrea is such a skilled writer? Great links in your post as well as good questions for discussion.
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