Borderless, by Jennifer De Leon is a young adult book that explores life in the writer’s South American homeland of Guatemala. The book follows the day-to-day life of Maya, our main character. Maya, a young woman of seventeen, is an inspiring fashion designer who creates unusual fashion out of the unexpected. Maya uses her talent to make her dreams a reality.
Having come from immigrant parents myself, I felt that I was quickly going to relate to the story. However, I was unprepared for the twists and turns that Maya and her mother experienced. The mix of characters within Maya’s retelling of the book’s events gives the overall story interesting layers. The major points in the story are alluded to, but are only revealed when necessary; leaving the reader wishing to know more.
The school that Maya is attending is a very prestigious design school. Maya is entered into a contest, sponsored by the school, that could change her life forever. To complicate matters, her best friend doesn’t make it into the contest. She then meets a boy, and though this should be an exciting time for Maya, it is anything but that. So much happens in this story in such a short span of time, that the reader is left wondering what comes next with each turn of a page. Borderless will have you running alongside Maya and her mother, both whom are just trying to find a home away from gang violence in Guatemala.
“Those who read “Borderless” will find solace and create an intimate connection to Maya and her journey. ”
De Leon has Maya and her supporting characters share some very authentic moments, which build the story up to its climatic events. The reader watches Maya’s life turn upside down. She is no longer able to hide behind her youth or naïveté and is forced to grow up quickly. From her first crush, to her first kiss, and ultimately, her first time witnessing a murder. We see Maya flee from her home with nothing but the clothes on her back, and cross the Rio Grande, which leads her to a detention center and finally to the realization that there are many challenges that she will have to overcome.
As I read Borderless, I started to understand why so many people seek asylum in the United States. The events of the book, at times, only give us a glimpse of the treatment that many people experience when entering the U.S.; enduring dehumanizing situations. These scenes are heart-wrenching. They heavily resemble events that are taking place in today's world; events that are not receiving the attention that they deserve in the media.
Those who read Borderless will find solace and create an intimate connection to Maya and her journey.
Jennifer De Leon is an author, editor, speaker, and creative writing professor who lives outside of Boston. She is the editor of Wise Latinas: Writers on Higher Education, the 2015-2016 Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library, and a 2016-2017 City of Boston Artist-in-Residence. She is also the second recipient of the We Need Diverse Books grant. She is the author of Don't Ask Me Where I'm From and Borderless.
Angela “Angie” Ybarra is a senior student enrolled in the Nontraditional Degree Program (NDP) at Northeastern Illinois University. She hopes to work as a grant writer to assist local nonprofit organizations that address the issues of gentrification within Chicago's NorthWest side and help them find funding for their work. Angie loves to give her audience the opportunity to formulate their own views by presenting the facts or points of interest with the hope to move her audience into action.
“Journalism is what maintains democracy. It’s the force for progressive social change.” —Andrew Vachss, Author
