Title: Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling
Author: Jason De León
My Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍
My Review: The Mexico / U.S. border has become such a huge issue. Unfortunately there has been alot of disinformation regarding the border and illegal imigration. For that reason, I felt compelled to read this book and hopefully get a better understanding of the issue. The book did not disappoint and gave me a much better understanding of how poverty, crime and drug cartels have made people so desperate that they would risk everything including their lives to immigrate to the U.S. The biggest take away I got from the book was there is no easy solution and building border walls won't really solve the issue.
Description (Audible): Political instability, poverty, climate change, and the insatiable appetite for cheap labor all fuel clandestine movement across borders. As those borders harden, the demand for smugglers who aid migrants across them increases every year. Yet the real lives and work of smugglers—or coyotes, or guides, as they are often known by the migrants who hire their services—are only ever reported on from a distance, using tired tropes and stereotypes, often depicted as boogie men and violent warlords. In an effort to better understand this essential yet extralegal billion dollar global industry, internationally recognized anthropologist and expert Jason De León embedded with a group of smugglers moving migrants across Mexico over the course of seven years. The result of this unique and extraordinary access is SOLDIERS AND KINGS: the first ever in-depth, character-driven look at human smuggling. It is a heart-wrenching and intimate narrative that revolves around the life and death of one coyote who falls in love and tries to leave smuggling behind. In a powerful, original voice, De León expertly chronicles the lives of low-level foot soldiers breaking into the smuggling game, and morally conflicted gang leaders who oversee rag-tag crews of guides and informants along the migrant trail. SOLDIERS AND KINGS is not only a ground-breaking up-close glimpse of a difficult-to-access world, it is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction.
Description (ChatGPT): "Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling" reads like a high-stakes game of chess with the pieces constantly reshuffling. The author masterfully weaves tales of desperation and resilience, proving that even in the darkest times, hope can be the ultimate smuggler. With vivid storytelling and sharp insight, it’s a gripping reminder that sometimes the true battles are fought not on the battlefield, but in the shadows of humanity. Just don’t forget to pack your sense of empathy—this journey isn't just a page-turner, it’s an eye-opener!"
