Right from the opening, where Makina nearly falls into a sinkhole and says to herself“slippery bitch of a city…always about to sink back into the cellar”, I loved this book and the energy of Herrera’s writing. Turning border migration into mythical quest, the book finds Makina on a mission to find her gullible brother who made the crossing from Mexico to the US on the false promise of some land and then lost contact. Makina is a hugely compelling character, “smart and schooled” and able to hold her own against thugs and predators.

Set out in nine chapters the book mirrors a Dante-esque descent into hell, mythical-seeming characters leading her through each stage of the journey. It’s a rich story that works on many levels and conveys so perfectly the drivers and dangers of this journey that so many die trying to complete. Herrera’s writing seems influenced by the way migrant communities morph and change language as their different tongues and cultures mix which gives the text an alchemical way with words and leads to incredible poetic imagery such as “rucksacks crammed with time”. An incredible book, and glad I started my Herrera journey with this one.