As a feat of research, the book reflects a remarkable effort ... But as a work of narrative nonfiction, the book struggles to draw us into the disparate anexo communities. The focus moves from person to person and place to place with such frequency that the reader feels unmoored and, at times, numb.
Astute and harrowing ... Given ongoing arguments over immigration, drug use, and legalization, Garcia’s outstanding book adds compassion and insight to this important social and political discussion.
What makes this book different from an ethnographic study of illicit drug treatment facilities is the significance of Garcia’s own story, which also crisscrosses the border ... Garcia delves into moral ambiguity, where the boundary between victim and perpetrator is not clear-cut.
Stunning ... Garcia’s narrative is fueled by an insatiable curiosity about the unique ethos of anexos, which sometimes seem to serve as spiritual retreats from a world gone haywire. It’s a luminous, immersive account of an unseen social safety net.
Set against the background of the ongoing drug war in Mexico, this probing book raises ethical questions about the use of violence as a rehabilitative tool. It also illuminates the role of the U.S. in perpetuating human suffering through military aid, illegally trafficked guns, and its insatiable hunger for drugs while immersing readers in Garcia’s own struggle to overcome the demons of a painful past.
