Another selection from the Amazon.com Vine program, to read and release.

Ciudad Juárez, located just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, is among the most deadly cities in the world. As Mexico has become engulfed in a firestorm of drug-related violence, Juárez rode the first waves of this tsunami of killing, with a murder rate that quickly grew to more than ten per day. Yet in the midst of all this violence, the people of Juárez carry on with their lives. This is perhaps truest when it comes to supporting their beloved soccer team, Los Indios, which enjoyed a brief tenure as a member of Mexico’s Primera, the top professional soccer league. In spite of the incredible violence, the Indios fans cheer on their team, even in the face of probable relegation back to the minor leagues.

This book documents the final season of Primera membership for Los Indios, as the team first struggles to avoid relegation, and then to come to terms with its inevitability. We meet the players and the team management, party with the diehard fans and generally learn what it is like to be a fan of soccer in Mexico. But this book is also about the city of Juárez , its people, and how they cope with the realities of living in the midst of the most incredible carnage outside of an actual war zone. It is a testament to the power of hope, the ability of people to continue to live their lives and plan for the future, even in a city where murder has, for all practical purposes, become legal.

Powell immersed himself in the city, becoming a resident, not out of necessity, but by choice. That makes this account personal, so that it packs an incredible emotional punch, even if it sacrifices some level of objectivity along the way. Even so, Powell does a remarkable job of trying to provide a balanced view of life in this violent city. He clearly comes to love the people of Mexico and Juárez, and manages to make the reader care for them as well. Anyone who wants a better understanding of the ongoing violence in Mexico and its impact on the Mexican people needs to read this book.

International Bookray

This book definitely needs a wider audience, so I'm sending it out on an international bookray. I will try to honor shipping preferences, when possible, but please know that if you sign up for this ray, you may need to ship internationally.

When you receive the book, please make a journal entry, so we know it arrived. Then post your thoughts when you finish and pass it along to the next reader as soon as possible. If there will be a delay, please post an entry so we know the status. Thanks!

Participants (order subject to change)

Firegirl (Virginia)

eponine38 (Mass.) (pref. US/Canada shipping)

LovesOU (Texas) (can ship anywhere)

pinkoeria (UK - pref. Euro. shipping) asked to be skipped

pam99 (UK - can ship anywhere)

garibaldisghost (UK - shipping pref. ??)

Time to get this bookray started! I'm passing this along to Firegirl.

Caught today while at lunch with ResQgeek.

I don't know that I would have picked this book up myself (though I may have), so I am especially glad that ResQgeek got it into my hands as I really, really enjoyed it. I may not be a huge soccer fan, but after living 13 years in the Southwest, I'm pretty fond of Mexico. I also spent some childhood years in Texas and New Mexico, so the Mexican culture has almost always been a part of my surroundings. I've watched the danger of crossing the border grow, both for vacationers and immigrants. I remember when popping down to Rocky Point was no big deal, now many people don't do it anymore because of the dangers of getting there. (Which is a great shame as beaches along the Sea of Cortez are gorgeous and the people in Puerto Penasco are truly fabulous.)

I found this to be both a great piece of journalism and an excellent memoir. Powell relocates to Juarez, a move that alarms pretty much everyone he knows since it has become the new murder capital of the world, with an average of 10 murders each day. The book is rife with example of murder, including up and down the block the author lives on. The danger is a key point of the book; contrasting the rampart crime with the affectionate people and the proud soccer team. It is frightening to read how commonplace murder is, how accustomed the locals are to it. I knew the city was dangerous, but didn't realize just how much so until reading this. Terrifying stuff, really, no matter how matter of fact, almost blase, the author presents it.

As I myself have found, however, little can dampen the high spirits of the Mexican people. The author's friends, neighbors, and even strangers are warm and giving. They embrace everything about their world, ignoring the death and violence so as to celebrate the joys in life, like a wedding, a soccer win, or a quinceanera (the traditional celebratory "coming-out" style party thrown for 15-year-old girls). There is so much we, as Americans, could learn from them.

And the soccer team... oh, the Indios!! (***MILD SPOILER ALERT**) I became totally absorbed in their story -- their rise to the equivalent of the major leagues and their desperate fight to stay there. I rooted for them as if I was in the stands; cheering their wins, bemoaning their losses, and so, so eager for the big Hollywood ending where they come from behind and win the whole thing. They don't, of course, and I wasn't surprised, but oh, how I wanted them to. (I just read an article from Dec, 2011 saying the team will be dissolved, which absolutely broke my heart. The team meant so very, very much to the people of Juarez and brought them a hope they desperately needed. I worry for them now, more than ever.)

In all, a touching, frightening, heart-warming, eye-opening book. An important read, as we are all people, sharing the same globe. We can't ignore our neighbors to the south. We should, in fact, look to them for strength and inspiration. They haven't lost site of the good, despite the evil. Hang in there, people of Juarez. We're rooting for you.

Sending to the next in line. Happy travels, excellent book!

Received today - thanks, Firegirl.

I'm reading 3 other books at the moment, so as soon as the first of those is finished, I'll start this one (shouldn't be long). Looks like a very interesting read.

An interesting and enlightening read. I'd heard, of course, about the violence along the border, but through Powell's writing I came to know and care about specific people, and marveled at their resilience and positive spirit. Their ability to remain spontaneous, warm and generous in the face of the daily horrors is amazing, and the love they feel for their city and its soccer team is truly touching.

It was frightening to see how quickly the author adjusted to the violence, seeing it at times as more of an inconvenience than anything else. I know that this "numbing" is a defense mechanism, but it was still an eye-opener.

Powell succeeded in making the book, on balance, more uplifting than depressing - and that was no small feat!

Mailed off to LovesOU today. Hope you enjoy the book!

Caught as a book ray! Looking forward to the read...

excellent story. I live 8 hours away from Juarez, Mexico. All we hear is the destructive news. It is great to read about sports and uplifting times a team can bring. Now, off to Scotland in this book ray.

the book arrived safely and was waiting for me today when I came home from work. It looks really good, I've started reading it already.

I really enjoyed this book - like a number of its other readers I'm not a huge soccer fan (although I live in a country obsessed by the sport and where it has similar implications for identity, happiness etc, and where our national team have a similar record to the Indios). I travelled to Mexico in 1995 when I was 19, and loved the country, although I crossed the border (in the days before cheap flights, by train and bus) further West, at Tijuana, before taking a bus to Mexicali and a train from there. I'd read a bit in the UK media about the deteriorating situation in Mexico and the drug-related violence, but this book was an excellent and informative piece of journalism. Will contact the next reader for details!

This has safely arrived, thanks. Once read I'm happy to send anywhere if the ray re-ignites itself.

An extremely interesting and very enlightening story about an area of the world I know very little about.

I'm taking this to the Nottingham meet-up. If no-one fancies it I'll put it on the bookshelf.

Captured from the bookshelf for a quick re-release.

Released onto a shelf just inside the door.