The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez

A Border Story

By: Aaron Bobrow-Strain

Narrated by: Frankie Corzo, Aaron Bobrow-Strain

One of AudioFile Magazine's Best Audiobooks of 2019
Shortlisted for the 2020 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award
Pacific NW Book Assoc Book Award

This program includes a chapter read by the author.

What happens when an undocumented teen mother takes on the US immigration system?

When Aida Hernandez was born in 1987 in Agua Prieta, Mexico, the nearby US border was little more than a worn-down fence. Eight years later, Aida’s mother took her and her siblings to live in Douglas, Arizona. By then, the border had become one of the most heavily policed sites in America.

Undocumented, Aida fought to make her way. She learned English, watched Friends, and, after having a baby at 16, dreamed of teaching dance and moving with her son to New York City. But life had other plans. Following a misstep that led to her deportation, Aida found herself in a Mexican city marked by violence, in a country that was not hers. To get back to the United States and reunite with her son, she embarked on a harrowing journey. The daughter of a rebel hero from the mountains of Chihuahua, Aida has a genius for survival - but returning to the United States was just the beginning of her quest.

Taking us into detention centers, immigration courts, and the inner lives of Aida and other daring characters, The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez reveals the human consequences of militarizing what was once a more forgiving border. With emotional force and narrative suspense, Aaron Bobrow-Strain brings us into the heart of a violently unequal America. He also shows us that the heroes of our current immigration wars are less likely to be perfect paragons of virtue than complex, flawed human beings who deserve justice and empathy all the same.

©2019 Aaron Bobrow-Strain (P)2019 Macmillan Audio

Beautifully written, painful & true.

This is one of those books that "the people who need to read it" probably don't read it, and those of us who know it already finish it. Although having some encouraging parts, it was a hard read for me and took me longer than I usually need to complete a book simply because this is necessary but painful truth and my capacity to make it different rests to a great deal on my vote.

Amazing

This book spoke to me so much. It not only captured the reality of what someone like Aida goes through being in a foreign country that is her home but of some many people like her. I am a first generation born American from two Mexican parents and this story is spot on with many of the facts. I am so greatful this was written and available for the world to read. Thank you!

Read this book

This is the first review I have written. If there ever was a book for our time, this is it.

Deep, emotional and touching

Not going to lie I only read this book for a class and I was not interested in reading it and as soon as I started reading I couldn’t put the book down! It’s such an amazing and touching story I felt like I was getting the story from the people first hand! Amazing!!!

Beautiful, strong and well told

This informative story really brought the reader into the folds of border life and how wide the impacts of borders spread. Even living where the book took place, we learned so much. We would recommend this to anyone. But particularly those who feel they are “more American” do to their legal status. This story took us deep into the lives of those most affected by poverty and the real struggles of life undocumented. Thank you to both Aida and the author.

The truth of immigrant lives

An incredible recount of the real life story of a bordertown and its inhabitants, interweaving an impactful personal story with historical and political truths. Everyone should read this book to understand just how both relatable and precarious undocumented lives are in the U.S.

Gut wrenching true story of the borderlands

This gutwrenching, real life take on life in the borderlands was insightful and gripping. part memoir, part oral history, and many parts thorough research, this nonfiction book reads like a novel. As a resident of Cochise County myself, I was surprised and delighted to hear some familiar names and to learn more of the stories and histories of people in our area. I found this story to be a very accurate picture of the impact of policies on people's lives in our region. It is also a very real look at what it's like living in poverty in the US today. I'm so grateful to have read this story and to understand our own history through the eyes of those living it.