Customer Reviews

Nobody's Son: Notes from an American Life (Camino del Sol)

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Luis Alberto Urrea is among the finest living writers. He has written about the border in three books. Nobody's Son is the latest. But he is not regional, not limited to a single geographic area. In Nobody's Son he moves from Tijuana and San Diego, to the Southwest, and further north to the high plains, in what amounts to a continuing journey. A journey across the land, through memory, in exploration of spirit. Urrea's story is uniquely American--the child of a Waspy, Wonder Bread white mother and a muy macho! Mexicano father, his is the story of those differences that divide us and yet hold us inevitably together. He is America's best kept secret, its soul.

Luis Urrea is the John Steinbeck of the border, offering a nostelgic, heartfelt, first-person experience of what it is like to grow up in two cultures, two cities (Tijuana and San Diego) and two worlds. He writes with passion, heart, and a gift for words in two languages.

From multinational beginnings impossibly diverse, Urrea leads us on a journey that explores how he became what he is, an American writer of the first order. Sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious, always heartfelt, it is a wonderful journey for the reader. Before he can write from the heart, an author must first know his heart. Luis Urrea knows his, and shares it with us beautifully.

Nobody's Son: Notes From An American Life by Luis Alberto Urrea (who teaches creative writing at the University of Illinois, Chicago) is the deeply personal memoir of an American born to a Mexican father and an Anglo mother. Recounting a childhood thrust in the middle of different cultures and languages, Nobody's Son is about the search for balance, about coping with division and borders, and about the pain as well as the joy of being multicultural. Nobody's Son is a candid, engaging, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and very highly recommended autobiography.

All his stories are written from his soul. They always have been. I wish that I could have taken the pain away from his childhood. I'm glad that I have known him. I wish him much success in all he does. I knew he was a great writer. I'm glad others are seeing how good he is now!

No one could guess this wasn't a brand new book straight from the store. It was fairly priced, packaged well and arrived promptly.

I'm a huge Urrea fan! Hummingbird's Daughter was over the top fantastic. This is my 4th Urrea book which I found disappointing. Though I agree with his discussions on labeling people, I was bored with his descriptions of how USA culture is a melting pot of many cultures. I did not appreciate the chapter on life in a whorehouse. That is one area where I'm glad to turn a blind and ignorant eye and also means I can never share this book with friends. I love the stories of life in Tijuana and I hear Luis's voice in my head when I read his books.