Review - No Direction Home by Diane Winger
By Carmen, 6 November 2018
Book Cover
Year Published: 2018
Genre: Contemporary; Drama
'I want to go home, but I don't know where that is anymore. I don't have a home.'
-Emma Cabezas, No Direction Home
Blurb:
In this evocative fictional story inspired by today’s headlines, the immigrant family of thirteen-year-old Emma Cabezas is ripped apart. Her older brother faces deportation after attempting to renew his DACA status and her parents are dragged away in handcuffs by immigration officers. Family friend Sandi Moreno takes her in, but Emma soon witnesses the abusive truth about Sandi’s husband and teenage sons. Desperate and afraid, she makes a rash decision to attempt to reunite with her deported loved ones in Honduras.
Her dangerous odyssey redefines her understanding of both family and home as she is forced to grow up very quickly in order to survive.
About the Author:
Diane Winger is a self-described "retired software geek" who loves hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, camping, and cross-country skiing when she isn't glued in front of her computer writing, picking out books to add to her "to be read" list, and watching cat videos. She is a voracious reader who still gets goose bumps whenever someone introduces her as an author.
Diane is an enthusiastic volunteer with the service organization, Altrusa International. She is particularly passionate about literacy-related projects in her community.
In addition to writing fiction, Diane has co-authored several guidebooks on outdoor recreation along with her husband, Charlie. They now live in western Colorado, but Diane was born and raised in Denver.
Connect with the Author:
Twitter: Diane Winger Twitter
Facebook: Diane Winger Facebook
Author Website: Diane Winger Author Website
Buy the Book:
Amazon: Amazon Purchase Link
Editorial Review:
Plot: 3.5/5
Flow: 4/5
Character Development: 3.5/5
World Building: 4/5
Overall: 4/5 Stars
The narrator for this book is Emma Cabezas – there should have been other options here; but I’ll discuss this below. There’s a decent amount of descriptions as Emma makes her way through her journey, and the plot moves at a steady pace with the flow moving smoothly from one scene to another.
My Take on the Book:
With Emma being the only narrator in the book, it makes it a little bit harder to see through the lens of other characters, like other members of the family, other people that are involved with the immigration process. What would have made this book go from really good to great is if there had been other viewpoints as well. I got the idea that Emma understood the unbalance of privilege, and I had solid empathy for Emma and her family situation. I received a review copy.
Please note that this is an Editorial Review, and I received a review copy from BooksGoSocial (The International Review of Books), though part of this review includes opinions that are my own. If you’re an author, please consider supporting ‘The International Review of Books’, you can find out more information here about them.
Enjoy,
Carmen