Jenny Torres Sanchez

Jenny Torres Sanchez is the author of The Fall of Innocence; Because of the Sun; Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia; and The Downside of Being Charlie. Pulga has his dreams. Chico has his grief. Pequeña has her pride. And these three teens have one another. But none of them have illusions about the town they’ve grown up in and the dangers that surround them. Even with the love of family, threats lurk around every corner. And when those threats become real, the trio knows they have no choice but to run: from their country, from their families, from their home. Crossing from Guatemala through Mexico, they follow the route of La Bestia, the perilous train system that might deliver them to a better life–if they are lucky enough to survive the journey. With nothing but the bags on their backs, Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña know there is no turning back, despite the unknown that awaits them. And the darkness that seems to follow wherever they go. We Are Not from Here (Philomel Books) tells an epic journey of danger, resilience, heartache, and hope. Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, called it “A brutally honest, not-to-be-missed narrative…gripping, heart-wrenching, and thrilling.”