Infinite Country

A Novel

By: Patricia Engel

Narrated by: Inés del Castillo

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK and INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

WINNER OF THE 2021 NEW AMERICAN VOICES AWARD, LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL, A 2022 DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE FINALIST, AND A NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF THE ARTS “BIG READS” SELECTION

“A profound, beautiful novel.” —People * “Poignant.” —BuzzFeed * “A breathtaking story of the unimaginable prices paid for a better life.” —Esquire

This “heartbreaking portrait of a family dealing with the realities of migration and separation” (Time) is “a sweeping love story and tragic drama [and] an authentic vision of what the American Dream looks like in a nationalistic country” (Elle).

I often wonder if we are living the wrong life in the wrong country.

Talia is being held at a correctional facility for adolescent girls in the forested mountains of Colombia after committing an impulsive act of violence that may or may not have been warranted. She urgently needs to get out and get back home to Bogotá, where her father and a plane ticket to the United States are waiting for her. If she misses her flight, she might also miss her chance to finally be reunited with her family.

How this family came to occupy two different countries, two different worlds, comes into focus like twists of a kaleidoscope. We see Talia’s parents, Mauro and Elena, fall in love in a market stall as teenagers against a backdrop of civil war and social unrest. We see them leave Bogotá with their firstborn, Karina, in pursuit of safety and opportunity in the United States on a temporary visa, and we see the births of two more children, Nando and Talia, on American soil. We witness the decisions and indecisions that lead to Mauro’s deportation and the family’s splintering—the costs they’ve all been living with ever since.

Award-winning, internationally acclaimed author Patricia Engel, herself a dual citizen and the daughter of Colombian immigrants, gives voice to all five family members as they navigate the particulars of their respective circumstances. Rich with Bogotá urban life, steeped in Andean myth, and tense with the daily reality of the undocumented in America, Infinite Country “is as much an all-American story as it is a global one” (Booklist, starred review).

Critic reviews

"Del Castillo's brisk pace suits the narrative, and her various character voices are strong and believable. She carries the listener from past to present seamlessly, even when the story includes historical details or folktales. Hers is the careful, sympathetic voice that one needs as these characters navigate an often-dangerous world."

Changed View - A Gripping Story of Family & Country

I think this book should be a must read for all Americans. It helps to understand the other persons point of view and how they view Americans. Our country was founded on the freedom that everyone should have freedom. And yet now we want to restrict it to just certain people. When are we going to change the laws to enable people from other countries who enter our country to obtain citizenship without spending tens of thousands of dollars. My heart goes out to all who are here from another country in fear

My favorite book of the year

A beautiful story, beautiful writing, beautiful performance. Brave, moving, and vulnerable narration of one version of a story experienced by so many people in our country.

Interesting full of empathy

A well told story - full of insight and emotion. Created a lot of empathy in my heart for these people that are labeled illegal. It’s nice to read some thing that is so full of humanity on the subject. I’m sure it’ll be a great movie!

Great story about how immigration affects families!

Loved this audiobook! (And that’s a lot coming from me!) I cannot sing the praises I have for this author enough. To be so vulnerable in telling her story of separation and the fallout from a family split by oceans and continents is just awe inspiring. And the performance was great too! The voiceover was able to help me imagine the different characters as they spoke as if I was reading the book myself! If you believe in the overwhelming power of family in the face of diversity and want a unique perspective on the immigration system of the US, this book is for you.

great book

I loved not only the way the story was read, but the story itself. This one is totally worth a listen.