From the author of L.A. Weather comes “a whimsical, humorous, and passionate mystery that explores the love and hurt of a father and daughter on the run” (Jorge Ramos, News Anchor for Univision).“1,001 nights in a Mexicali women’s prison . . . González and Daughter Trucking Co. is about our compulsion to make events into stories and stories into bridges of understanding.”—John Sayles, … understanding.”—John Sayles, Screenwriter and Director
Serving a sentence in a prison in Mexico, Libertad González finds a clever way to pass the time with the weekly Library Club, reading to her fellow inmates from whatever books she can find in the prison’s meager supply. The story that emerges, though, has nothing to do with the words printed on the pages. She tells of a former literature professor and fugitive of the Mexican government who reinvents himself as a trucker in the United States. There he falls in love with a wild woman with whom he shares his truck and his life—that is until Joaquín González unexpectedly finds himself alone on the road with a baby girl and González & Daughter Trucking Co. is born. Joaquín and his daughter make the cab of an 18-wheeler their home, sharing everything—adventures, books, truck-stop chow, and memories of the girl’s mother—until one day the girl grows into a woman, and a chance encounter with one man causes her to rebel against another.
With her stories, Libertad enthralls a group of female prisoners every bit as eccentric as the tales she tells. In González and Daughter Trucking Co., bestselling author María Amparo Escandón seamlessly blends together these elements into one compelling and unexpected conclusion that will have you cheering for Libertad and filled with joy.
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Liked it very much-will read more of this author.
I love a character who is a good storyteller, and this book has one. But I wasn’t expecting an inmate in a Mexican woman’s prison. I was hooked immediately and had to read way late in the night to see what was going to happen next!
Gonzales & Daughter Trucking Co. delivers a truckload of treasure, no matter what you are in the market for.
I thought that a tale, narrated by a young American girl, locked-up in a Mexican prison, would be horrible story. WRONG, I was sooo wrong. Libertad and her father grabbed me by my heartstrings and took me on a ride that I will never …
If you as a reader have started to feel like there’s nothing new under the sun, think again. This modern day Scheherazade is spinning tales from a Mexican women’s prison. Her father, a literature professor and critic of the Mexican government flees the country and reinvents himself as a trucker in the United States, hence the title. Politics, …
One of the most original stories I’ve ever read. Still think about the characters and storyline.
This is a different kind of story set in. Mexican prison for women. The premise that the narrator is pretending to read her story from books in the library each week keeps us all waiting for the next chapter. The characters and their relationships are thought-provoking.
Wow. I was drawn in by this original story. Wish I knew some of these women.
Fantastic charactgers; unique way of telling the story.
Very different and intriguing!
Funny tale of a life in a truck from the young girl brought up on the road in a long distance hauler. Quite a different kind of a story, very inventive and entertaining. Most of dialogue takes place in a Mexican jail for women. Main characters are well-developed, a story about people more than places.
I thought (for no good reason) that this would be a “fun” or “whimsical” book. It is not. The whole plot (and reader interest) turns on why the hero is in a Mexican jail.
The author device of using our hero pretending to read a story to the inmates while, in fact, telling her own story is clever.
The writing is good, the plot is interesting, and …
A little bit magical realism; touching and haunting; great characters.
A nice twist on a coming-of-age story, told through a heroine who narrates her own history, more or less, during library “reading aloud” sessions in a Mexican prison. There are some annoying typos in the book (and yes, I wrote to the publisher offering to send corrections) but aside from that, quite enjoyable.
A different kind of story. I enjoyed it and do recommend it. It was a relatively quick read too. It certainly showed there are different kinds of imprisonment.
I felt sorry for the young protagonist but she turned out to be strong after all
This was an enjoyable, if quick, read. Sort of a cross between Like Water For Chocolate and Pigs In Heaven only shorter.
Dreamlike – told in a very unusual way, a compelling story I couldn’t wait to get back to whenever I put it down.
A creative twist on an unusual life. Entertaining.
Original story with wonderful characters that you get to love and want them to find happiness.
Loved this book!