The devil's highway: A true story by Luis Alberto Urrea

From Follett

Chronicles the true story of twenty-six men who attempted to cross the Mexican border into the southern Arizona desert known as the Devil's Highway, describing how the men struggled to survive the desert's harsh conditions and why only twelve survived the journey.

From the Publisher

"In May 2001, a group of men attempted to cross the border into the desert of southern Arizona, through the deadliest region of the continent, a place called the Devil's Highway. Fathers and sons, brothers and strangers, entered a desert so harsh and desolate that even the Border Patrol is afraid to travel through it. Twelve came back out." "Now, Luis Alberto Urrea tells the story of this modern odyssey. He takes us back to the small towns and unpaved cities south of the border, where the poor fall prey to dreams of a better life and the sinister promises of smugglers. We meet the men who will decide to make the crossing along the Devil's Highway and, on the other side of the border, the men who are ready to prevent them from reaching their destination. Urrea reveals exactly what happened when the twenty-six headed into the wasteland, and how they were brutally betrayed by the one man they had trusted most. And from that betrayal came the inferno, a descent into a world of cactus spines, labyrinths of sand, mountains shaped like the teeth of a shark, and a screaming sun so intense that even at midnight the temperature only drops to 97 degrees. And yet, the men would not give up. The Devil's Highway is a story of astonishing courage and strength, of an epic battle against circumstance. These twenty-six men would look the Devil in the eyes - and some of them would not blink."--BOOK JACKET.

Recommended by Mr. McCaffrey, Campus Ministry

"Many Marist students have families with immigrant histories or are interested in immigration as an American and global political issue. As a moderator for the Share the Journey club, this book describes the deadliest tragedy of migrants crossing the desert at the US-Mexico border. The author grew up on the border and movingly relates the beauty and cruelty that exist side-by-side. The book also tells a balanced, humanizing story; the author rode along with Border Patrol officers, interviewed traffickers who guide migrants across the border, and spoke with families of those who migrated."

"The book contains detailed descriptions of heat exposure, sun stroke, and deadly dehydration. Several good interviews with the author are available online, including an episode of the On Being podcast."