Home » Memoir » The Distance Between Us Reyna Grande Essay

The Distance Between Us Reyna Grande Essay

The Distance Between Us is a memoir written by Reyna Grande. It tells the story of her childhood in Mexico and her journey to the United States as an undocumented immigrant. The book was well-received by critics and won several awards.

The Distance Between Us is a powerful and moving story of one girl’s journey from poverty in Mexico to a new life in America. Grande does an excellent job of describing the difficulties she faced growing up, as well as the hope and determination that drove her to succeed. The book provides a rare and intimate look at the lives of undocumented immigrants, and is sure to provoke thought and discussion. Highly recommended.

Reyna Grande’s title “The Distance Between Us” is a reflection of the terrible family life she and her three siblings had to endure. Mago, Carlos, Reyna, and their newest sister, Betty, all grew up in a hard environment with no consistent affection from their parents, so they had to rely on one another for wisdom and encouragement.

The novel goes into detail about Reyna’s struggles as an undocumented immigrant in America and how she was constantly moved around from place to place, never really having a home. “The Distance Between Us” is a story about family, love, and hope that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to fight for anything in their life.

Reyna Grande’s “The Distance Between Us” is a memoir about her childhood growing up in Mexico without any parents. Reyna, Mago, Carlos, and their new sister, Betty, are all raised by their grandparents who love them very much but can barely take care of themselves let alone four kids.

The novel details Reyna’s struggles as an undocumented immigrant in America and how she was constantly moved around from place to place, never really having a home. Reyna’s story is one of family, love, and hope that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to fight for anything in their life. The book is an important read for anyone who wants to understand the struggles of immigrants in America today.

The four Grande children developed a unique bond over the years, and they would not abandon each other. Each figure in the book contributes certain personality characteristics that help the others deal with their current situation. Mago, for example, one of the eldest Grande child, who is thoughtful, brave, and capable of leading everyone at such a tender age demonstrates exceptional personality traits.

The second eldest, Carlos Grande, who is reckless and does not think before he acts, provides comic relief during difficult times for the family. The two youngest siblings, Irmas and Beto Grande, are incredibly close with one another and bring happiness into the lives of their older siblings.

Reyna Grande’s The Distance Between Us is a memoir that tells the story of her childhood growing up in Mexico and eventually crossing the border into the United States. The book focuses on the relationships between the four Grande children and their parents. The father is mostly absent from their lives, while the mother works long hours to support her family. As a result, the four children must fend for themselves and create their own support system.

The Distance Between Us is a heart-wrenching story of struggle and perseverance. The reader gets a glimpse into the harsh realities of life for undocumented immigrants. The family’s story is one of hope and determination, and ultimately, a reminder of the importance of family.

Mago’s mother handed her a huge obligation as “their little mother” (12). Mago was robbed of her youth and forced to grow up. Because to the fact their mother was absent when they were younger, Carlos and Reyna became who they are today. She remarked, “they’re replacing us,” when she found out about the new baby coming in her mom’s arms (33). Mago was not pleased with her mother’s pregnancy because she had informed her.

“You had us when you were our age. You should have thought about this when you were younger like us”(33). Reyna was happy to have a baby brother because she felt that she needed someone to protect her from their father. The situation with their dad got worse and he started drinking more. Reyna’s mom wanted to leave him but, Reyna convinced her mom to stay because she was scared of what might happen if they left.

One night, their dad came home drunk and hit Reyna’s mom causing her to fall down the stairs and miscarry the baby. The next day, Reyna’s mom packed up their belongings and took them away from their dad. When they finally arrived at their grandparent’s house in Mexico, Reyna thought “this is it, this is where our lives would be better”(116). Reyna was sadly mistaken because their lives were just as hard, if not harder than before.

They all had to share one bed and they were constantly hungry. The only thing that kept them going was the hope of one day being reunited with their mother in America. The Distance Between Us is a story about family, love, hardship, and hope. It is a story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.

Carlos and Reyna feel that Mago is a far superior mom than their biological one. Carlos, the second oldest who has a great sense of humor and desires to assist his sisters. When Mago, his sister, was down and Carlos tried to make her happy by telling us his favorite jokes about a boy named Pepito,” he was miserable when their mother left and Mago was there to support him not to be sad (38).

The youngest sister, Alejandra, was the one who always had a smile on her face. Reyna looked up to her because she was always so positive and had such a good attitude. “I wanted to be just like her” (39). Despite all of the chaos in their lives, Alejandra never let it bring her down. The three siblings were very different from each other, but they loved and supported each other through everything.

Reyna Grande’s memoir, The Distance Between Us, is the story of Reyna’s childhood growing up in Mexico and eventually moving to the United States. Reyna was born in Iguala, Mexico in 1981 to Mexican parents. Her father left her mother when Reyna was only three years old, so she and her two sisters were raised by their mother. Reyna’s childhood was full of poverty and hardship, but she managed to find love and support from her siblings.

Reyna’s memoir is a moving story of family, love, and hope. The Distance Between Us highlights the importance of family, both blood relatives and chosen family. Reyna’s mother may have been absent emotionally, but her siblings more than made up for it. The love and support they showed each other is truly inspiring. The Distance Between Us is also a story of hope.

Despite all the hardships Reyna faced in her childhood, she never gave up on her dreams. She eventually made it to the United States and achieved her goal of becoming a writer. The Distance Between Us is an inspiring story of family, love, and hope that will stay with readers long after they finish the book.

Cite This Work

To export a reference to this essay please select a referencing style below:

Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.
Reference Copied to Clipboard.