El Salvador

El Salvador is where the Flores family lives, in a small rural town called La Colonia in the book. (La Colonia is a pseudonym used to protect the identities of the family members still living there). El Salvador is a country with a history of violence that has made it a dangerous place to live. This danger and threat of violence is the primary reason that so many of its citizens have sought to migrate to the United States, though the lack of economic opportunity is the country is also a contributing factor. El Salvador suffered under civil war in the 1980s and after the war, the country became riddled with gang violence.

Reynosa, Mexico

Reynosa is a border town in Mexico that many migrants pass through on their way to the United States. Reynosa is a dangerous place where drug traffickers and coyotes often take...