My Side of the River, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez
My Side of the River, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez
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My Side of the River
A Memoir

Author: Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

Narrator: Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

Unabridged: 6 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/13/2024


Synopsis

This program is read by the author.

“My Side of the River is both fierce and poetic. It brilliantly reframes border writing while embracing nature and familial history. There are moments one sees greatness appear. This is one of those moments.” —Luis Alberto Urrea, New York Times bestselling author of Good Night, Irene

Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez reveals her experience as the U.S. born daughter of immigrants and what happened when, at fifteen, her parents were forced back to Mexico in this galvanizing yet tender memoir.

Born to Mexican immigrants south of the Rillito River in Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth had the world at her fingertips. She was preparing to enter her freshman year of high school as the number one student when suddenly, her own country took away the most important right a child has: the right to have a family.

When her parents’ visas expired and they were forced to return to Mexico, Elizabeth was left responsible for her younger brother, as well as her education. Determined to break the cycle of being a “statistic,” she knew that even though her parents couldn’t stay, there was no way she could let go of the opportunities the U.S. could provide. Armed with only her passport and sheer teenage determination, Elizabeth became what her school would eventually describe as an unaccompanied homeless youth, one of thousands of underage victims affected by family separation due to broken immigration laws.

For fans of Educated by Tara Westover and The Distance Between Us by Reyna Grande, My Side of the River explores separation, generational trauma, and the toll of the American dream. It’s also, at its core, a love story between a brother and a sister who, no matter the cost, is determined to make the pursuit of her brother’s dreams easier than it was for her.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

About Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez

Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, as a second-generation immigrant. She graduated from high school at the top of her class and, in 2018, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. She worked as a banking analyst at Wells Fargo and is now a product manager at a big tech company, where she uses her background and knowledge to empower communities. She has been featured on NPR’s Latino USA and delivered a viral TED Talk on finding opportunity and stability in the United States while examining flaws in narratives that simplify and idealize the immigrant experience. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sandra on February 06, 2024

Should anyone in their twenties write a memoir? My Side of the River is my latest attempt at reading one, and I ultimately concluded that this author should have waited. While Camarillo Gutierrez has a compelling life story to date, there needs to be more substance, self-reflection, and maturity to......more

Goodreads review by Kimberly on February 13, 2024

"My Side of the River" by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez is the author's own story of her life as the American daughter of Mexican immigrants who were not citizens of the United States. As much as I wanted to love this book, it left me wanting more. It moved from one milestone of Elizabeth's life to......more

Goodreads review by Brynna on August 23, 2024

I expected a lot more from this memoir. Instead of being about unjust immigration practices or the hardships she went through while she was on her own at 15 years old, it was mostly about how amazing she is, her impressive accomplishments, and how she could never do any wrong. Throughout, the tone w......more

Goodreads review by Hannah on February 11, 2025

Very heavy book to read emotionally. I hope the author finds a way to breathe and live unencumbered someday. Maybe writing this book will help her with that.......more

Goodreads review by Jess on June 10, 2024

this book felt like a very long college application essay......more


Quotes

My Side of the River is both fierce and poetic. It brilliantly reframes border writing while embracing nature and familial history. There are moments one sees greatness appear. This is one of those moments.” —Luis Alberto Urrea, New York Times bestselling author of Good Night, Irene

"Elizabeth Camarillo’s My Side of the River is the book that everyone should read to understand the depth of the strength and achievements of Latinos in the United States. Poignant and tender, hers is an inspiring journey that will most certainly illuminate the path for many others." —Rafael Agustin, author of Illegally Yours

"A brave, honest, heartbreaking, and educational memoir. Elizabeth Gutierrez Camarillo unveils the many realities of being a first generation American whose family continually crosses, and is separated by, borders. My Side of the River is a timely book that uses the power of personal story to invoke societal change. I know many young people and families will find themselves in Elizabeth’s story, and many others will be inspired to action." —Justin Baldoni, star of Jane the Virgin and author of Man Enough

“Open and candid . . . A moving story of the humanity at the center of the often-breathless and uninformed immigration debate." —Kirkus Reviews

“[A] powerful, often heartbreaking story . . . . Sharp, incisive, and often wryly funny, Gutierrez's memoir is a necessary addition to the complex conversation around immigration in the U.S.” —Shelf Awareness