We Are Not from Here

We Are Not from Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez is a contemporary young adult novel first published in 2020. Although the book features elements of magical realism, the novel is primarily realistic in style. We Are Not from Here examines traumatic experiences of physical, emotional, and sexual violence as three unaccompanied minors travel from Guatemala to the US-Mexico border. We Are Not from Here is a Pura Belpre Honor Book (2021). This guide references the 2020 edition by Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Plot Summary

Pulga, a 15-year-old boy, was born and raised in the town of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. He has two very close friends: Chico, 13, and Pequeña, 17. Chico is like a brother to Pulga, and lives with Pulga and Pulga’s mother as his own mother was killed two years before. Pulga thinks of 17-year old Pequeña as a close cousin thanks to the friendship between their mothers. For years, Pulga has been learning about the migrant route toward the United States. He has maps and money hidden away for the day when he might have a chance to leave—or need to run.