Mexico Well-Read: A review of Reyna Grande’s ‘Migrant Heart’

Reyna Grande's new memoir "Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget" is a resolute departure from her earlier works which focused on her traumatic childhood and young adult experiences. The 18 essays delve into topics ranging from failing eyesight and motherhood to menopause and raising American children. Grande recounts the Ayotzinapa disappearances not as distant news, but as a wound in her hometown's soul.

She explores the complexities of bilingualism, colorism within Mexican and Mexican American communities, and how her mother hoped her grandchild would have blue eyes. Grande's writing in this memoir is not a polemic, but rather a deeply personal effort to move beyond the label of the "queen of misery" that was thrust upon her. This memoir is more than just a collection of painful memories; it is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

While it may not be a comfortable read, it is essential reading for those who have benefited from the privileges that came after leaving their homes. Grande has managed to craft a book that forces readers to confront the hard truths about migration, home, and identity.