American Tumbleweeds
1960s El Paso, Texas: When Inez Ramirez’s father is arrested for smuggling marijuana across the Mexico-U.S. border, her family nearly shatters as they deal with the repercussions. In this novel told in multi-person points of view, we get a firsthand glimpse of a simpler life in Mexico, the hardships of being a bicultural family in America, and a young girl who just wants the freedom to grow up and make her own decisions.
I enjoyed the blending of cultures in American Tumbleweeds, from ´60s era music and styles to the homey impression of Inez’s abuela’s home and traditions in Mexico. While discrimination of Latin Americans was certainly common in the period and present in the story, Elva doesn’t make it her focus. Inez’s story is that of any young girl—finding herself under the influence of peer pressure—but she faces the added challenge of not knowing where she truly belongs. Inez’s mother, Katalina, struggles to care for her family even as she’s accused of abandoning them, and Inez’s father, Ramón, can’t help feeling he’s failed those he loves most.
Spanish inflections and phrases are scattered through each chapter, lending authenticity to the characters and their world, although I found myself wishing for more emotion from them at times. But overall, this was a story about a family’s unique struggle, and it accomplished what it set out to do.
