I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The struggle of illegal immigrants entering the United States gets a new perspective in author Josh Holliday’s novel “Under A Coyote Moon (Vol I of V)”. Here is the synopsis:

The Synopsis

A (Memoir of Migrant Forced To Travel 2,000 Miles From El Salvador Atop Trains & Swim The Rio Grand River) and other True stories of migrants travels and troubles and prices they had to pay to reach the Mexican/American border; then how they managed to sneak across and enter the U.S. complete with 50 Color Images to enhance the stories.

The Review

Now in full disclosure to the audience and the author, I myself lean more to a democrat way of thinking and political mindset than Republican. I mention this not because I like talking about it often, but in this day and age there are many topics that I feel need to be spoken about in an open and honest way. This book brings up a major topic of debate that is incredibly relevant and needs to be discussed. Before I begin I want to applaud the author for contributing 25% of proceeds to help children caught up in the illegal immigration struggle. No matter what side you fall all, everyone should agree that children are innocent and shouldn’t be persecuted.

The author does a great job of highlighting the struggles of immigrants entering the United States illegally. While it may be illegal, the horrors they face in their home country forces these innocent people to flee for their lives, believing in the promise the US once represented of hope and a beacon for all the world to look up to. Sadly because of their desperation and need for safety, others take advantage of their situation. From the tight border patrol agents doing what is mandated and capturing anyone crossing the border, to the criminal “coyotes” and those running stash houses for immigrants who mistreat those crossing the border and keep them for days or even weeks until they are paid.

For me as a reader and reviewer, I must approach this and look at the topic from my own belief in a democratic society. The need to help and stop the heinous mistreatment of immigrants and the horrible policies of the current US administration is something I fully believe in. While a system of vetting immigrants is smart, locking up and separating children from their families and punishing those seeking to escape violence and persecution (i.e. abused women and children, young men seeking to escape gangs who want them to join them, families fleeing police brutality, etc) is horrendous and needs to be stopped.

The difficult thing is this topic can be very divisive, as are all politics. While I personally feel immigration and the current state of immigration shouldn’t be politicized, it’s the way things are for now. We are talking about peoples lives here, and we should be respectful and willing to lend a hand. The propaganda surrounding immigration can be discounted with a little bit of research and open mindedness. While I am a democrat, pro-Obama person, I try to keep an open mind and look at things from both sides. Yes gang violence in South America is a problem, as are drugs. Yet not all illegal immigrants are part of the problem. Instead they are seeking to escape those problems, and if given the chance could help improve our nation as a whole. We are a country of immigrants after all, who settled here (and conquered, let’s face it), seeking to escape persecution themselves, do we not owe it to the people south of the border to give them that same chance?

This review is a lot longer than most, but I feel passionately about this topic and live in a time where one cannot be silent and sit on the sidelines. I applaud the author for showing both sides of the immigration struggle, as it shows that no matter what our differences may be, the recognition of great injustice and the need for acceptance is a universal trait we can all get behind. While there are a handful of grammatical errors that could be improved in future novels, this first entry into the series showcases the author’s commitment and detailed research into the topic. Impressively the stories told reflect the real life struggles of many immigrants, both from the point of fleeing their homes to being trapped by criminals on both sides of the border and the hardships they have to endure for most of their life because of their “illegal” status.

The Verdict

Overall this was a fascinating read. While I may disagree on some points from a political belief’s standpoint, I do agree that immigration is an issue that needs a fair, safe and caring approach. I think the author did a great job of showcasing the struggles of immigrants based on his interviews with some of those immigrants. If anything, this book makes me yearn for the day where we can truly be a nation of equals, no matter what your race, gender, sexual orientation, or even nation of origin. I believe in the original idea for the United States, which was to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. While the nation has it’s dark moments in history, (like we face now), I have to hold onto hope for a brighter, more accepting and peaceful tomorrow. If you haven’t yet pick up your copy of Josh Holliday’s “Under A Coyote Moon (Vol I of V)” today!

Rating: 7/10

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129615945?ean=2940156146307

About the Author

Josh is a former carpet layer and carpenter who lived and worked in California from 1970 to 2000. He now lives in Florida where he divides his time between writing interesting books, managing Real Estate part-time and playing the Blues-Harmonica.

Additionally he plays bottleneck guitar and writes songs.