Discovering SOLITO: My First English Book Experience

How I met this book

THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK WRITTEN IN ENGLISH IN MY LIFE.

Technically, I had read other English books before, But I couldn’t finish it. They were to boring and difficult for me to finish.

I encountered this book at school. Actually, this book was used as a learning material, so I had to buy this book.

In the beginning of the reading, I felt difficulties to focus, however, as I kept reading the book, I was unconsciously into reading it. eventually, I could finish the book without much of efforts.

Short Summary of this book

This is a memoir about the author’s adventurous journey from his hometown, El Salvador, to the US border when he was 9 years old. Before he left, his parents had already left for the US, so he had to go through this journey with some unknown strangers and leave his beloved grandparents. The author gives us a story that we could hardly imagine by writing about what happened on actual dates.

“One day, you’ll take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure.”

How I felt about this book

This book includes Spanish as well as english. At that time, i did not know Spanish, either (I am learning Spanish now), so it was difficult for me to understand the content at first.
however, the words that the author uses in this book are not difficult, so it was relatively easy, at least, easy enough to be able to understand what is going on.

Throughout this journey, I do not know how many times I feel the author is extremely in danger. I can visualize in my brain what was happening in each moment with a lot of people’s actual words, phrases, and expressions. After I read this book twice, however, I cannot imagine how he actually felt in each moment and experience.

This whole journey and purpose of this book by the author made me emotional and cry in the end.

Key elements in this book were…

• Relationships between the author and his family and friends in his hometown before he left for the journey
• How the author’s feelings about other strangers who were on the same trip were changed throughout this journey.
• The intense moments where the author is in danger.

Because of his writing, I could finish reading the book even if I could not understand some parts. The fact that I could read an English book gave me the confidence to read books written in English.

I am happy to find this book as my first English book.

Whom i recommend to read

• Those who have never read English books before
• Those who have experienced moving to other countries alone
• Those who like an emotional coaster