45 pages • 1 hour read
In the Midst of Winter
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Chapters 10-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 10 Summary
The “coyote” who led Evelyn and the other migrants to cross into Mexico and then the U.S. was named Berto Cabrera; he came highly recommended. Cabrera counted himself as a “responsible person” (142) who had never lost any of charges on the journey.
When Evelyn set off with Cabrera to Mexico, she was in the company of other migrants that included four men and a woman, who went by the name Maria Ines, and her infant child. Evelyn was given the name Pilar Saravia and new identification documents. Cabrera advised Evelyn to assume the identity of a mute student at a school for the death and to pretend that he was her uncle to avoid suspicion.
While the initial steps of the journey went smoothly, Maria Ines’s infant became ill and needed to be taken to the hospital. Cabrera wanted to leave Maria Ines behind to continue the journey with everyone else and return for her later. However, the group refused to leave without Maria Ines, so Cabrera reluctantly agreed to stay. When the baby recovered, Maria Ines decided that it was too dangerous to travel with an infant, so she opted to return to Guatemala.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group embarked on their journey to the U.S. and Mexico border, which was heavily patrolled. Cabrera warned that they had to wait for the right opportunity to cross the border or risk getting caught by U.S. border patrol.
Chapter 11 Summary
As Richard, Lucia, and Evelyn prepare to embark on their journey to Horacio’s cabin, Richard reflects on his friendship with his old friend Horacio, who had always chided him about his overpreparation. Richard nervously readies Lucia and Evelyn for the drive through the cold. Richard finds documentation for the car in the glove compartment as well as a remote and key, which Mrs. Leroy had given to Evelyn, explaining that it came from Mr. Leroy’s suit pocket. Evelyn also reveals that Mr. Leroy usually keeps a gun in the glove compartment “for his work” (150), which alarms Richard and Lucia who suspect that Mr. Leroy is involved with a criminal and highly violent business.
As all three depart from the house, Richard drives the Leroys’ car on his own, and left alone, he begins to think back on his days in Brazil where he studied political science. There, he befriended Maria Theresa, Brazil’s last left-wing president, João Goulart’s wife before a series of military dictatorships took hold of the country. He also met Anita and pursued her fastidiously, winning over her large family. They married in Brazil. When he recalls their marriage, he believes that despite his drinking and her passionate responses to him, “They were happy” (153).
Chapter 12 Summary
Richard fixes snow chains onto the Leroys’ car to ready it for driving through the storm. After this is done, Richard, Lucia, and Evelyn continue their journey. The journey takes longer than anticipated since there are still roads that have not been cleared. Richard takes a pill to calm his nerves, which also begins to make him feel tired. He wonders if Lucia is feeling tired from driving too. After driving nonstop for six hours, Richard signals for Lucia and Evelyn to pull over because he cannot see with the snow building up on his windshield. They realize that they have not taken a bathroom break at all, so they all urinate off the side of the road.
They keep driving for several miles until they find an area with a gas station, a mini mart, and a motel. While Richard had intended to have everyone keep driving until they reach their destination, he realizes that they will not reach Horacio’s cabin until the next day. The three of them decide to stay at the motel overnight and rest. Despite the circumstances, Richard feels “sheltered and safe” (166) in the motel with Lucia and Evelyn.
Chapters 10-12 Analysis
In Chapter 10, the novel explores the particular struggles that Central American migrants such as Evelyn must go through to cross the border to the U.S.. While common narratives about Latin American immigration to the U.S. center Mexican migration, Evelyn’s story involves a particular political and social history unique to Guatemala. Like many Central American countries with economic ties to the U.S., its people become part of a growing undocumented labor force in the States. According to the “push-pull” theory of migration, many migrants are “pushed” from their countries of origin due to crime, war, or economic hardship. These migrants are “pulled” to richer or more seemingly peaceful nations, lured by hope for prosperity. U.S. political and economic involvement in Guatemala drastically transformed the country, leaving many of the poor even poorer and further marginalizing its indigenous population. Left with few options, many struggling Guatemalans have had to illegally enter the U.S. to earn remittances that would be sent back to their families, as this has become one of the few viable income options available. Evelyn’s mother began this journey, and through more pressing consequences, Evelyn repeated it.
The description of Evelyn’s voyage to the U.S. and Mexico border follows a procedural model that illustrates the risks and difficulties of undocumented migrants. For Evelyn, a young girl with a speech impediment who has survived physical and sexual violence, the border presents a series of dangers in the form of kidnapping and sex trafficking. While Evelyn’s coyote, Berto Cabrera, had been deemed a “responsible person” for the journey, many coyotes abandon their charges along the way and keep their money. Evelyn’s circumstances proved fortunate as she met other kind migrants who helped her and another woman with a child. The exceptional circumstances of Evelyn’s passage show that crossing the border to the U.S. illegally comes with many risks and vulnerabilities, and the decision to leave one’s country in this manner comes from the lack of alternatives. For Evelyn, she faces possible death by gang violence should she stay in Guatemala or assorted violence along the border on her way to the U.S.. It is a calculated risk with many unreliable factors, but it is a journey that Evelyn has no choice but to take to save her own life.
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