The Tijuana Book of the Dead / by Luis Urrea

Soft Skull, 2015. Trade paperback. VG. 

Celebrated author Luis Alberto Urrea was inspired to create this work largely in response to the book bannings and abolition of Mexican-American studies in Arizona and as a cry against the current political climate for immigrants. Weaving English and Spanish languages as fluidly as he blends cultures of the southwest, Urrea offers a tour of Tijuana, spanning from Skid Row, to the suburbs of East Los Angeles, to the stunning yet deadly Mojave Desert, to Mexico and the border fence itself. Mixing lyricism and colloquial voices, mysticism and the daily grind, Urrea offers a deep and moving meditation on the blurring borders in a melting pot society.