09/26/2026
NO PRESSURE BOOK CLUB REVIEW
SOLITO by Javier Zamora
GENERAL DISCUSSION
There was a general feeling that the book was too long. Many things were repeated, but that was rationalized with the explanation that it was what was being remembered and experienced by a 9 year old, even though the author is now an adult. The 9 year old spent a lot of time looking at the lighter and darker shades of the complexion of the people he encountered before and during his trip to the USA, along with bathroom habits and what he was eating.
The text included many words (too many to look up) in Spanish with no footnotes or explanation of their meaning. There was also a point made that there were different dialects for each country they traveled through, even though the basic language was Spanish. The closer a country was to the American border the higher the status.
The author wrote this book, which was based on his real life experience as a child, hoping to connect with the people who helped him survive his trip north to California. It appears he has not been successful in locating anyone. There was some speculation that they might have been deported or they did not want to reveal that they were undocumented. This is the author’s first book. He is also an author of poetry.
In spite of setbacks, there was a level of persistence to cross the border. For some it was to be reunited with their families, for others it was the opportunity for a better life or to escape the threat of violence. They literally risked their lives, had to deal with some shady characters, and went through a grueling physical ordeal more than once. We sometimes don’t appreciate what we have and how lucky we were to be born in this country. They had to depend on the “coyotes” to help them cross. They paid dearly for those services, before the trip, during the trip and at the end. It made us wonder where all the money was coming from to finance their travel. And if they had to borrow it, were they encountering loan sharks?
He had family members living in California. Some were able to obtain a visa and took a plane. Those not lucky enough to obtain a visa and had no other options, endured the hardships of the sea and land routes. These hardships were well known by the family members left behind. His grandparents did their best to prepare their grandson for the journey he would be taking.
FAVORITE CHARACTERS
Pattie - who took him under her wing and made him part of her family. She was his pretend parent.
Chino - who made sure others, especially the children, were as safe as possible
QUOTES
Page 361 - “Our shadows are so small, but they touch. We’re one big shadow. Our own family.”
GRADES
Character Development - B
Pace - very redundant and slow
Setting - A
Writing Style - the inclusion of so many Spanish words, without a translation, made some passages hard to follow or understand
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS BOOK
Only to someone who was interested in the immigrant experience or had encountered it themselves.
WHAT ELSE ARE YOU READING
A FAR-FLUNG LIFE by M.L. Stedman
In remote Western Australia in 1958, the MacBride family manages a sheep station. An accident shatters their lives. Rose deals with guilt, Matt struggles to recover and the matriarch, Lorna, tries to hold the family and their livelihood together. Each character tries to do their best as they deal with their choices and the consequences. An epic family story of tragedy, the aftermath and reliance.
THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM by Laura Dave
Liam Noone is a hotel entrepreneur with 3 ex-wives and families. To Nora, he is the dad who loved her from afar, mostly from his cliffside cottage in California. When Liam’s fall from that cliff is ruled accidental, Nora’s estranged brother, Sam, insists that the death of their father isn’t what the authorities claim. Together they unravel mysteries and try to put the intricate pieces of their father's past and family secrets into a complete puzzle that will bring closure for everyone.
FALLEN WOMEN by Sandra Dallas
A story of two sisters who take different paths against the author’s research of the American West and prostitution in 1885. Wealthy New York socialite Beret, who has been estranged from her sister Lillie, travels to Denver when she receives word of her sister’s murder. Beret is determined to find Lillie’s murderer as the investigation leads her into the dangerous underworld of drugs and prostitution.
BENEATH THE SCARLET SKY by Mark Sullivan
17 year old Pino Lella is enjoying the good life in Milan, until his home is bombed and destroy by Allied bombs. He flees to the Alps and joins a secret network helping Italian Jews escape to Switzerland. To keep him out of combat, his parents force him to enlist in the German Army. He is assigned as a driver to an important N***s Commander, while secretly spying for the Allies.
Mark Sullivan is also the author of “The Last Green Valley”, which is also highly recommended.
DIDN'T YOU USE TO BE QUEEN B? By Terri-Lynne DeFino
Regina Benuzzi is Queenie B, a culinary goddess with bestselling cookbook empire and $$$$TV deals. She had it all, until she didn’t.
Local line cook, Gale Carmichael has had a few disasters. Now sober and struggling to get by. He visits a local soup kitchen in New Haven. Conn., but realizes that the food is prepared with a gourmet flair. Gale doesn’t recognize Regina after being in hiding for over 10 years. But Regina recognizes Gale’s talent and forms an unexpected found family, taking him under her wing. Working together, they get a second chance.
MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristen Harmel
A story about 9 Americans whose lives intertwine spending a life-changing week in Paris. This book is often described as Love Actually meets The Notebook.
THE ASTRAL LIBRARY by Kate Quinn
This is a fantasy adventure book about a secret library behind a hidden door where books are not just objects but doors to new worlds, new lives and new futures.
THE SUMMER ESCAPADE by Jill Shalvis
The 6th book in a contemporary romance series.
Anna’s father is believed to be a thief. She teams up with Owen, an adventurist, to clear her father’s name.
CHASING SHADOWS by Lynn Austin
A story about 3 women, whose lives change instantly when the N***s invade the Netherlands.
Happy reading! 📚
‼️The next meeting will be OCTOBER 29th, the last Thursday in October. The book is SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan. There are more books available for check out in the library.
