Book Review: “The Line Becomes A River”

Author: Francisco Cantú

This book gives a glimpse into the factual and emotional years that Francisco Cantú spent as an Officer for the U.S./Mexican Border Patrol.

He explains the long hours he had to work searching in the hot day of the desert heat. Then in the dark on colder nights, searching for immigrants trying to cross over into the United States illegally; where occasionally he found them injured or even dead from the heat, starvation or injury.

Cantú tells his emotional story of his friendship with a man named José. José’s mother was dying in Mexico, so he left the United States in order to see her one last time. When José was returning to the United States, he was arrested and jailed.

Cantú discusses the emotional storm of dealing with nightmares related to his work, and whether he could truly handle being a border patrol officer.

Cantú gives a heartwarming and inspirational story from both sides: being a border patrol officer and having to follow the laws by the book, and being the immigrant, wanting families to be able to stay together.

Today Cantú still deals with the pressures of his past although it’s been years since he was an active officer. Similarly, the Mexican border crossing issues continue to be a prevalent everyday as part of American politics and society.

This story is well worth a read if you have any interest in being a border patrol officer, finding out the process of detaining immigrants who try to cross the border illegally, or if you just have an interest in immigration in general. This story is compelling and provides a valuable insight into the life of a Mexican-American border patrol agent.