This is an extremely sad story no matter what your politics may be. Often lost soles are never claimed because their identity is never discovered. Families may never know what happened to their love ones. Jesus Lopez Ramos was only in his teens, a kid who worked for the so-called Coyotes (organizations that smuggle undocumented immigrants fro Mexico into the United States.) He got his charges across into America, but the more experienced guide who was to accompany him did not show up. Instead, Ramos was left with lieutenants who were older but less experienced than he was. In the end, he was in charge, and to his eternal credit and blame, he took control. Illegal immigration is an issue that has been used reductively – good versus evil – and Mr. Urrea refuses to fall into that trap. He is well aware that illegals make up 23 percent of unpaid bills in the Southwest’s ER’s and care centers for example, but this book is written to show Americans the face of the undocumented. In this particular case, I'm frustrated because all of the events these men encountered could have been avoided. The men who chose to be guided were misinformed and therefore were not prepared to spend any significant amount of time in a desert setting - many of the deaths could have been prevented had they been properly informed on the right clothes to wear, the right provisions to bring, the right expectation of how long the journey would take, instead of just being told that they were "almost there".

If this were a documentary, it would be one of the overly-dramatic ones filled with a little too much speculation and a few too many cheesy reenactments that you find on the Discovery and History channels. He may have gotten most of his facts right, but because of the way those facts are presented, I find I have doubts about it. The book meticulously details the journey of a group of individuals, revealing their hopes, fears, and the unimaginable challenges they face in their pursuit of a better life. Urrea skillfully weaves together historical context, personal accounts, and in-depth research, immersing the reader in the tragic yet resilient experiences of these migrants. My father, who is now 80 years old, watches nothing, but FOX NEWS, and he asked me one day...so whatever happened to that caravan? *sigh*This story became an international tragedy after it focused attention on the heartbreak and astounding physical trials of such a journey. The Yuma-14 (or the Wellstone 26), as the group is called, also shed light on the problems of U.S. immigration and the complex relationship between the United States and Mexico.

From then on we witness their collective ordeal in the desert corridor known as The Devil's Highway. The personal touch is effective here, so we see each man with a name, a family, a history, and a specific dream or purpose for coming to America. This is a very powerful book, describing the true, disastrous journey of 26 men, who tried to cross from Mexico to the United States on foot through the Arizona desert in 2001. Urrea's storytelling is both poignant and powerful. He skillfully navigates the complexities of immigration, shedding light on the larger socio-political landscape while never losing sight of the individual human stories at the heart of it all. Of course, nothing is as simple as all that, but still the story is larger and more complicated than what most Americans are being brainwashed into believing. The Devil's Highway" is easy to read, gripping and not at all preachy, while having a heart of anger and compassion which I found moving and fierce.At the Yuma Medical Center, the survivors are interrogated by the police. Their accounts are greatly varied and marked by deep confusion, but all identify Mendez as their smuggler. Rita Vargas, the Mexican consul in Calexico, arrives to aid in the investigation and to advocate for both the living and the dead. The survivors realize that telling their stories might enable them to stay in the United States, so they cooperate with the police. Acclaimed writer Luís Alberto Urrea tells the story of the Wellton 26 (sometimes referred to as the Yuma 14), a group of illegal immigrants, mostly from the impoverished southern Mexican state of Veracruz, who became lost in the treacherous Yuma desert after a series of fatal mistakes made by their smuggler, or pollero, Jesús “Mendez” Lopez Ramos. In "The Devil's Highway," Urrea captures the essence of human resilience and the unbreakable will to survive against all odds. The book is an eye-opening and thought-provoking testament to the human spirit, leaving a lasting impact and prompting deeper reflection on the challenges faced by those seeking a new life. As they walked, they started to lose themselves. Their accounts of the following days fade into a strange twilight of pain. Names are forgotten. Locations are nebulous, at best, since none of them, not even the Coyotes, knew where they were. Nameless mountains loomed over them, nameless stars burned mutely overhead, nameless demons gibbered from the nameless canyons. (p. 108) Content Notice: Please note that some of the remaining quotes from this book contain harsh language and disturbing images.)