Adult Book Group (Hybrid)

For October, we will be discussing Infinite Country by Patricia Engel.

At the dawn of the new millennium, Colombia is a country devastated by half a century of violence. Elena and Mauro are teenagers when they meet, their blooming love an antidote to the mounting uncertainty of life in Bogotá. Once their first daughter is born, and facing grim economic prospects, they set their sights on the United States.

They travel to Houston and send earnings back to Elena’s mother, all the while weighing whether to risk overstaying their tourist visas or to return to Bogotá. As their family expands, and they move again and again, their decision to ignore their exit dates plunges the young family into the precariousness of undocumented status, the threat of discovery menacing a life already strained. When Mauro is deported, Elena, now tasked with caring for their three small children, makes a difficult choice that will ease her burdens but splinter the family even further.

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed author Patricia Engel, herself the daughter of Colombian immigrants and a dual citizen, gives voice to Mauro and Elena, as well as their children, Karina, Nando, and Talia—each one navigating a divided existence, weighing their allegiance to the past, the future, to one another, and to themselves. Rich with Bogotá urban life, steeped in Andean myth, and tense with the daily reality for the undocumented in America, Infinite Country is the story of two countries and one mixed-status family—for whom every triumph is stitched with regret and every dream pursued bears the weight of a dream deferred.

Pick up a copy of this month's book at the Accounts Desk at Vancouver Community Library.

Attending virtually? Call 360 906-5140, and ask the staff to have a copy delivered to your local branch, or check the Libby app from Overdrive for the eBook or eAudio.

Join us online at the time of the event by clicking here: Google Meet Link.

Need a reminder? Click on the "Remind Me" clock button above and enter your email or select the "Add to My Calendar" feature.

You will need a computer, tablet or phone with a camera and microphone.