Crossing The Wire

Will Hobbs, Crossing the Wire, was a wonderful portrayal of what crossing borders truly entails. I had come into this story not knowing a lot about the border system or how it worked or what to expect. But through Victor’s struggle in this story it really allowed my perspective on borders to open up. It showed the drastic approach of what it takes to survive in this type of family environment and what involves in crossing the wire.

Ever since his father died, 15-year-old Victor has been the man of the house. He plants and sells corn to support his mother, siblings and even himself. It shows how hard their life is, and how they are scraping by of what they are making. It doesn’t help when the price of corn falls terribly, this then makes Victor come to the realization that he has no choice but to try and get across the border to the United States. This way he will be able to make enough money to support his family and knows it is his responsibility as well. Victor doesn't have the money to hire a coyote to sneak him across and there are miles between him and the American towns where he hopes will be his ticket to work and money. Victor gets on his way in an attempt to cross the wire, find work and send money home. It shows the realistic events of Victor's journey. He faces a lot of danger and hunger but also the freezing cold and the scorching heat of the Arizona desert. It is a drastic attempt to gain work and life in these new areas all for his family back home.

What most interested me in this story was my awareness to how hard it was to actually get across the border. It definitely shows the determination many do for their family’s lives. It is sad but very realistic in a sense. Also, I was extremely shocked when he got deported back but was still determined to get across again. No matter the circumstances he was faced with, whether he knew it at the time or not, he was not going to give up. I find this difficult to imagine that such a young boy had to be put through this situation because of the dangers that can and will happen. It is shown that the male has the biggest responsibility in the family. After Victor’s dad had died he knew that he had to be the strong supporter in the family, and once those prices dropped he knew he had to do something to help. He found this to be his only option. This was a shocking reality but it was a great book to read because I have never read anything like this before. It opened up my eyes, personally, to these events that occur year round and the negativities that are attached. It was a realistic approach to this everyday issue and that is what I appreciated most when reading this book.