The Border As Metaphor

By Sarah Gustavus

July 1, 2010 – Border guards, border fence border patrol. All phrases we hear regularly in the news. Author Luis Alberto Urrea says the border represents much more than a division between two countries. He's the author of several books of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. His book, "The Devil's Highway," was nominated for Pulitzer Prize.

Urrea's latest novel is based on a real challenge in small towns across Mexico - almost all of the young men now work in the United States. The fictional heroines of "Into the Beautiful North" are a group of young women who travel to the US to try to convince some young men to return home.