... Hinojosa embraces her whole self to offer an evocative portrayal of her experiences as women of color in an industry where whiteness is still a factor in determining who gets first dibs on opportunities that pave the way to the top ... [a] distinctive narrative in tone and approach, ushering readers through time and space in situations where [Hinojosa] is often defined by her status as an immigrants and Latina ... Hinojosa’s book is as much a manifesto as it is a memoir.
Hinojosa offers a searing, clear-eyed account of growing up in America after she emigrated from Mexico as an infant. Weaving her own life story with key milestones in U.S. immigration history, she produces a brave examination of the United States’ shortcomings ... quite simply, beautiful. Written in Hinojosa’s honest, passionate voice, this memoir takes readers on a journey through one immigrant’s experience. Hinojosa was able to realize the American dream, but she urges us not to look away from all the others for whom America is a nightmare.
Hinojosa’s writing is often workmanlike (readers should not come to this book for the pretty prose) but her overall story is compelling, not only for its ability to convey her own life as a survivor of rape and one of the only Latinas in the room during her career, but also in its ability to humanize the history of immigration ... Her depictions of the treatment of undocumented individuals moved me to tears, proving her greatest asset is her ability to put a human face on the immigration crisis ... a testament to what great journalism can do—leverage privilege and power to tell the stories of those who are voiceless.
... illuminating reading in many respects ... This riveting account will appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of immigration and current U.S. policies.
... extraordinary ... The book leaps to life when she reports her assignments to the country’s devastating tragedies and disasters. Each is covered from a distinctively human perspective, professional and personal together vindicating the reasons for the awards and honors she has received ... The memoir leaves a lingering sadness, fueled by an underlying disrespect for all men, seeing them directly or vicariously responsible for those women with whom she empathizes.
... formidable ... She lays out her personal and professional struggles and successes within a well-researched historical context, while also providing behind-the-scenes accounts of her groundbreaking and often traumatic work on 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and the creation of the Frontline report on the miseries of immigration detention camps, titled Lost in Detention. As far-ranging and politically illuminating as Hinojosa’s memoir becomes, it is also laser-focused and intimate, and at its heart are portrayals of immigrants, especially immigrant children. Although the situations of those children are dire and hope seems unrealistic, Hinojosa promises to keep telling their stories. A fascinating and essential journalist’s memoir.
... a defiant memoir that probes family lore, public policy, and mainstream media bias ... a powerful memoir that doubles as an essential immigration primer.
