Summer reading by Breanna Muriithi

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-21 17:05:24 UTC

By: Javier Zamora

Project by: Breanna Muriithi

Javier Zamora

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-21 17:10:32 UTC

Born in 1990, Javier Zamora is a Salvadorian-American poet, author, and activist, who migrated to the US in 1999. He mainly writes about immigration, retracing his own experience through his books and poems. He has published three books: Nine Immigrant Years, Unaccompanied, and his most popular work, Solito. Zamora has received several awards such as the 2024 LA Times-Christopher Isherwood Prize, the American Book Award, and was a winner of the 2024 Whiting Fellowship.

Source: https://www.javierzamora.net/bio

What is it about?

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-21 23:08:08 UTC

Solito is a coming of age memoir by Javier Zamora following his journey to the USA. Somewhere along the way, young Javier got abandoned by the cayote that his parents and grandparents paid to deliver him to the US. By the aid and kindness of other immigrants, the young child is able to successfully reunite with his parents in the US. I believe this book matters, especially in our time, because it humanizes the same migrants that politicians and people who seek to divide our nation demonize. It gives the story of immigration through the lens of a nine year old, showing us the child's resilience, and the dangers and emotional toll of child migration. The thing I love most about this book is it's universal- it doesn't apply to people of one culture or one country. While it might be personal to the author, it gives a voice to millions of migrants globally, who dared to make a journey to a better life.

Perspective and effect

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-25 23:54:47 UTC

Solito is written from the first-person perspective of Zamora's nine-year-old self. Zamora uses this perspective to fully immerse the reader into the story. The way he wrote the story was raw and emotional, allowing the reader to feel the fear, confusion and other strong emotions that Javier felt during his journey. I personally love that Zamora wrote through the lens of a child. In choosing to write the story in the eyes of a child, Zamora avoided the detachment that writing in hindsight may have caused. Not only did he avoid emotional detachment and blandness by writing through the perspective of a kid, he also made it easier for us to empathize with the character. The innocent and vulnerable voice of Javier makes it hard to avoid the human side of immigration. The reader can connect with the character on a deeper level. They can connect to or relate to Javier's longing for his parents, his moments of fear and joy, and the love he feels for those he travels with.

Javier

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-27 01:22:14 UTC

Javier is a nine year old Salvadorian who embarks on a solo journey to the USA. He can be described as smart, resilient, observant, and innocent. He is bright but naive, and often fantasizes about what life might be like in the US. I feel like his child-like innocence greatly contrasts his dangerous journey to the USA. Javier is a very observant character, able to describe sights, tastes, and textures with vivid details. He is the book's main character and narrator.

Image source: LA Times

Patricia, Carla, and Chino

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-27 01:35:50 UTC

The three other key characters of Solito are Patricia, Carla and Chino. All three act as a temporary family unit to Javier as they navigated their dangerous journey to the LA USA. Patricia was a kind young woman who acted as a sort of mother figure to Javier. She also happened to share the same name as his actual mother. Carla was Patricia's daughter, who formed a sort of close friendship to Javier. Chino was a 19 year old migrant who acted as a trusted brother or father figure to Javier.

Image source: Adobe Stock

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-28 02:00:38 UTC

I feel that the main theme of the novel is love and longing for a family. While most would not put this as their main theme, I found this message powerful. To develop the theme, Zamora wrote from the perspective of his nine year old self, which not only makes us see his vulnerability, but allows us to watch Javier experience love and the longing for a family through a more innocent and unique perspective. Javier also repeatedly mentions wanting to see his mother, furthering the family theme. To develop the theme of love, the book explores Javier's bond with his "found family," who offer him love, protection, friendship and support. Despite the book being named Solito (alone), Javier is never truly alone.

One: The beginning

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-28 02:05:58 UTC

Of course, one of the biggest events of the story would be the beginning of Javier's journey to the United States. In the year 1999, Javier leaves his loving home with his grandfather and a "cayote" guide that they had hired for him. The experienced cayote was supposed to take him to his parents, who had left years earlier, in two weeks. The beginning of this journey is filled with childish hope and the anticipation of an adventure.

Two: Boat Ride to Mexico

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-28 02:08:51 UTC

During the first part of his trip, Javier and many other migrants are forced to take a dangerous boat ride in deep, dark, bumpy waters. Several other travelers became seasick, and Javier was cold and scared. During this leg of the trip, Javier develops a bond with Patricia, Carla, and Chino, which will be significant for the rest of the memoir.

Three: Abandonment

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-28 02:14:24 UTC

The journey is met with a major issue: the groups original cayote (Don Dago), has abandoned them. The group is left more vulnerable and with less guidance than originally promised. After a confrontation with Mexican authorities and a few delays, the journey continues. During this part of the book, the tone shifts dramatically from guided adventure to a dangerous struggle.

Four: Failed desert crossings and detainment

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-28 22:18:29 UTC

As the story continues, Javier and his found family have to survive dangerous treks through a desert with a limited supply of both water and food. The group is caught and detained multiple times by Border Patrol. During a failed crossing, one member of the group, Marcelo, fakes an injury and steals money and supplies, which made the rest of the group even more vulnerable than they were before.

Found Family

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-28 23:01:48 UTC

In my opinion, the most pivotal point in the story was Javier forming a bond with his found family. Javier was taken care of by two strangers for most of the story (Chino and Patricia). Patricia becomes a temporary surrogate mother to Javier, and Chino becomes a sort of older brother figure to him. Javier, without this family, would have been abandoned and alone. This found family is crucial to Javier and his survival throughout his journey. They provided physical and emotional support during the most dangerous parts of his trek.

Coyote

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-29 00:15:24 UTC

(noun) A person who is paid to transport or guide migrants across boarders.

"Coyote handles the money. He buys us food, gets us a place to sleep, buys us bus tickets. He's our wallet, our voice, our brain." (Zamora 180)

Mojados

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-29 00:15:56 UTC

(noun/adjective) A insulting term for undocumented migrants.

"Your mom did her trip fast. Quick. It was a first-class mojado express," (Zamora 16)

La Migra

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-29 01:12:49 UTC

(noun) Boarder patrol

"La Migra has helicopters. They have trucks. They have binoculars that can see in the dark." (Zamora 225)

Metaphor

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-29 01:34:53 UTC

The title itself is a a metaphor for Javier's journey. Solito means "little alone," which captures how vulnerable he is as a child who is migrating alone.

Simile

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-29 17:16:51 UTC

Similes are often used throughout the story to vividly describe settings, other people, and situations by comparing them to something understandable. One example of this was Javier describing his mother. He says "I remember everything about her. Her harsh voice like a wave crashing when she got mad at me. Her breath like freshly cut cucumbers," (Zamora 6). This simile helps us imagine the sound of his mother's voice, despite the fact that we have never heard it before.

Five: Final crossing

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-29 22:44:09 UTC

After enduring immense hardships and struggles, the group eventually makes a successful crossing with a new coyote guide. They arrive at a safe house in Arizona, where Javier learns that his new found family will be living far away from him. They all promise to stay in touch. The next morning, Javier is finally reunited with his parents, ending his seven week journey and marking the beginning of his new life in the US.

Juxtaposition

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-29 23:01:22 UTC

Throughout the story, Javier gives objects and animals human characteristics to cope with situations where he is powerless. This innocent action juxtaposes brutal conditions and dangerous situations. One good example of this is when he and his group were captured by Mexican authorities on a bus ride to De Efe. While he is being searched by soldiers, he sees a lizard and names her Paula. He and Paula have a conversation within his head. The text says, "Paula says, everything is going to be okay, fine, just fine," to which Javier later responds to by saying "But I have money hidden in places they won't find," (Zamora 126). The juxtaposition between the naming of and talking to an animal versus being captured and searched deepens the reader's empathy and cultivates outrage. For me, witnessing a character as innocent as Javier endure such suffering was absolutely heartbreaking.

Image source: Pinterest

Sensory Imagery

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-29 23:23:31 UTC

The last rhetorical device that is used often throughout the memoir is sensory imagery. Zamora vividly describes things in a way that appeals to the five senses. One example is Javier describing the fish he ate in Acapulco, Mexico. He says that it smells of "oil and salt and sea and lime," looks like its "fried to a crisp, light brown color of a guitar. The open mouth with serrated teeth, like little saws," (Zamora 150). This vivid imagery creates a more immersive experience, pulling us, the reader, into the story and making us able to clearly imagine the fish by appealing to our senses.

Image source: PanlasangPinoy.com

Javier's Hometown

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-30 00:10:49 UTC

One of the most important settings within the story is La Herradura, El Salvador: Javier's hometown. This is where Javier begins his seven-week journey. This setting of his early childhood represents safety, family, community, and innocence, all of which Javier is forced to leave behind.

Desert

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-30 00:36:32 UTC

The desert is the final and most dangerous physical barrier that is keeping Javier from entering the US and reuniting with his parents. This setting represents danger and hardship. The desert is a place of peril, with limited food and water, relentless heat, dangerous terrain and the threat of deportation by "La Migra." Javier and his group's resilience is severely tested here. It also represents the strength of the bond between the members of Javier's found family. In this desolate environment, Javier and his "family members" protects and cares for Javier- a testament to the kind of relationships can form in times of extreme difficulty.

Historical Context: The Salvadoran Civil War

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-30 00:55:15 UTC

The book is set after the Salvadoran Civil war, which was a major push factor that caused the mass migration out of El Salvador, including Javier's parents. The Salvadoran Civil war caused political and economic instability in the late 20th century. El Salvador experienced a period of extreme violence and extreme turmoil. The US-funded right-wing Salvadoran government was in conflict with the left-wing, which resulted in both military and gang violence. It also led to El Salvador's economic decline. This instability caused mass migration to escape violence and seek better economic opportunities. Javier's father, for example, left to escape political violence, and Javier's mother left to seek better job opportunities. Javier, at the beginning also talks of other children and families "disappearing" or migrating to the US.

Cultural Concept: Found Family

breannamuriithi85 — 2025-08-30 01:09:44 UTC

This book repeatedly emphasizes the importance of both the chosen and biological family, making it a strong cultural theme throughout the story. The story highlights the sacrifice that Javier's mother and father made by leaving him in La Herradura with his grandparents to build a better life for him in the USA. This, along with the love and care he receives from both his aunt and grandparents, develops the cultural theme of family. Later on Javier forms a bond with his fellow migrants, Chino, Patricia, and Carla, who become his chosen or found family. They care for him, provide support to him, and protect him throughout the story, which further supports the family theme. By using this cultural theme of family, Zamora's story is transformed from a story of his own migration to a universal story of love and sacrifice.