Enrique's Journey

Enrique is the main subject of the book. He is a quiet Honduran child who is heartbroken when his mother abandons him at the age of five. The pain lessens over time, but Enrique never forgets his mother. As he grows older, he becomes more intent on trying to find her. At age 16, Enrique embarks on the dangerous journey to the United States, leaving behind his pregnant girlfriend María Isabel. The harsh conditions test Enrique’s emotional and physical strength. Although Enrique is thrilled to be reunited with his mother, rebuilding their relationship proves difficult. He sends for María Isabel several years later, prompting her to leave their daughter behind and continue the cycle of abandonment.

Lourdes is the mother of Enrique, Belky, and Diana. Lourdes’s husband left her for another women, which led her to immigrate to the US without her children. Lourdes struggles to find work and a good partner. Although she is happy to be reunited with Enrique after 12 years apart, tensions between them soon arise. She struggles to rebuild her relationship with her son and to integrate him into the family she built in the US.

María Isabel is Enrique’s girlfriend and the mother of their daughter Jasmín. She is pregnant when Enrique leaves Honduras to search for his mother. Despite living apart for many years, her love for Enrique remains strong. She makes the difficult decision to leave Jasmín to join Enrique in the US. Her short-term goal is to send money to Honduras to provide for her daughter. In the long term, she hopes to bring Jasmín to live with her and Enrique in the US.

Jasmín is Enrique and María Isabel’s daughter. She has never met her father, who left Honduras before she was born. She lives with Belky after her mother abandons her.