Tuesday, August 4, 2009

AMERICA LIBRE: Review and Giveaway

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!
AMERICA LIBRE

BY
RAUL RAMOS Y SANCHEZ

ABOUT THE BOOK:

After years of anti-immigrant backlash, anger seethes in the nation's Latino communities. The crowded streets bristle with restless youth, idled by a deep recession. When undercover detectives in San Antonio accidentally kill a young Latina bystander during a botched drug bust, riots erupt across the Southwest. As the inner-city violence escalates, Anglo vigilantes strike back with shooting rampages. Exploiting the turmoil, a congressional demagogue succeeds in passing legislation that transforms the nation's Hispanic enclaves into walled-off Quarantine Zones. Citizens tagged Class H-those who are Hispanic, are married to a Hispanic, or have at least one grandparent of Hispanic origin-are forced into detention centers. Amid the chaos in his L.A. barrio, Manolo Suarez is out of work and struggling to support his growing family. But under the spell of a beautiful Latina radical, the former U.S. Army Ranger and decorated war veteran now finds himself questioning his loyalty to his wife-and to his country.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
A long-time resident of the U.S. Midwest, Cuban-born Raul Ramos y Sanchez is a founding partner of BRC Marketing established in 1992 with offices in Ohio and California. Besides developing a documentary for public television, Two Americas: The Legacy of our Hemisphere, he is host of MyIimmigrationStory.com — an online forum for the U.S. immigrant community. In his own words: “The first English word I learned was ‘January.’ I read it on the calendar thumb-tacked to the wall of our apartment in the Bronx as a seven-year-old. I pronounced it Han-noo-a-ree. I’ve managed to learn a few more English words since.”

Could it happen here? (a statement by the author)

When I began writing America Libre in 2004, some thought the book’s premise was unrealistic. An uprising by Hispanics? The idea seemed far-fetched, they said. Today, as the rhetoric over immigration grows more heated, the skeptics are no longer so certain. I posed the nightmare scenario of America Libre as a wake up call to the dangers of extremism—on both sides of this explosive issue. Illegal immigration is a hotly debated topic. Yet it is only the tip of the iceberg. Over the next decade, three other factors will prove equally significant. Some of the volatile conditions presented in America Libre have already surfaced. I hope my abilities as a prophet end here. But the potential for a widespread conflict lurks behind every escalation of our current war of words. Visit Raul Ramos y Sanchez website here.

BINGO'S REVIEW OF AMERICA LIBRE
What a surprising book! I thought this was never going to be "my kind of book". I read lots of genres but this seemed to military/warlike/history for me. Was I wrong! This is an amazing book and Sanchez is a fabulous writer. I now am really looking forward to the next book. This story of a young Latina youth being shot in Texas and it brings about rioting to the point that the National Guard is called in. Shots are fired and people are killed. Across the country their is an outcry and what we are now experiencing in real life is magnified and made very real as the immigration problems that are real concerns erupt in the book. For me, it brought back memories of what happened after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed.

The book takes it a step farther as Hispanics are labeled and rounded up into camps much like the Japanese during World War II but worse. The characters the author creates are well developed and you care about them all. The action is fast moving and I can see this being made into a film right away. Good people become the enemy and the people we want to have faith in let us down. This is too close to reality and the author does a dynamic job of making the reader become so involved that it is hard to put the book down. If you are lucky enough to win a copy in my giveaway, you will be so pleased but if you don't, I strongly recommend you getting a copy as quickly as possible.

AND SO...
THE GIVEAWAY!!!

THANKS TO LINDA AND THE GOOD
PEOPLE AT THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP,
I HAVE 10, YES! TEN COPIES TO GIVEAWAY
OF THIS AMAZING BOOK!

AND SO HERE ARE THE RULES:
---U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
---NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
---IF NO EMAIL ADDRESS IS IN THE COMMENT,
OR EASY TO FIND, NO WAY TO CONTACT YOU, SORRY!

TO ENTER:
(TO COUNT AS SEPARATE ENTRIES,
YOU MUST
COMMENT SEPARATELY
OR THEY COUNT AS ONE, SORRY!)

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENT OR ATTACHED BY CLICKING YOUR NAME (I HAVE TOO MANY WINNERS THAT CAN'T BE FOUND--HOW SAD) AND TELL WHY YOU WANT TO WIN

+1 MORE ENTRY: TELL IF YOU FOLLOW IN MY NOW 300+ GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT, AND IF YOU DO,... OR SOME OTHER WAY, PLEASE TELL HOW

+1 MORE ENTRY: IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW BUT SIGN UP THIS TIME WITH GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT, YOU GET ANOTHER ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: IF YOU POST OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND PUT YOUR LINK IN THE COMMENT

ALL ENTRIES ARE DUE BY
6 PM, EST, AUGUST 31

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

50 comments:

tawndam said...

wow... scary to think that this could happen today... We are working so hard at 'removing' racial labels, but at the same time, it only takes one bad incident to get everyone's blood boiling and, unfortunately, it always seems to come back to race, gender, etc... Scary storyline, but sounds like a must-read!

tawndam said...

blogger follower & rss sbscriber

Pam said...

I agree - as blind as we claim to be to race, gender, religion, sexuality, etc., we really haven't come all that far. I've read some great reviews of this book, including yours, and would like to read it myself.\

melacan at hotmail dot com

Pam said...

follower

melacan at hotmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Please enter my name in your draw. Thanks.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

catss99 said...

I like that this book follows such a hotly debated topic.

Amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

catss99 said...

I follow!
amanda
catss99@yahoo.com

bermudaonion said...

Sounds like a thought provoking book - I'd love to be entered. milou2ster(at)gmail.com I subscribe in Google Reader.

Deborah said...

The plot of "America Libre" is scary because with some of the attitudes in the US today, there's a small chance that something like this could happen. asthenight at gmail dot com

Deborah said...

I'm now following your blog. asthenight at gmail dot com

Deborah said...

Tweet! http://twitter.com/AsTheNight/status/3143724846 asthenight at gmail dot com

tea said...

I would like to win "America Libre." I love to learn more about the immigrant experience although sometimes there is a lot of emotional and physical pain.

teakettle58@yahoo.com

tea said...

I follow you on Google.

teakettle58@yahoo.com

tea said...

I have linked to you from my blog.

holdenj said...

Please enter me as well!

JHolden955 (at) gmail (dot) com

Thanks.

holdenj said...

I am a follower!

JHolden955 (at) gmail (dot) com

wheresmyrain said...

Sound like a really interesting book idea. count me in
wheresmyrain(at)yahoo(dot)com

wheresmyrain said...

I am now a follower
wheresmyrain at yahoo dot com

Vera said...

Please enter me. vvperesk@gmail.com

Vera said...

I follow. vvperesk@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I just added this book to my wishlist a few days ago!!! I hope I win :D

sensitivemuse at gmail dot com

Jenny said...

This looks good! Please enter me in the giveaway.

jennala(at)cfl(dot)rr(dot)com

Marian Perera said...

I came to the United States to get a degree and hoped to eventually live there, but the INS did not, shall we say, help in that regard. I ended up leaving (with the degree) and now reside in Canada. That's one reason I would love to read about the problems immigrants experience in what often seems like the Promised Land - I lived through a few of them.

That, and I loved the author's story about his first English word being January. :)

Marian - mdperera at hotmail dot com

JJ said...

You have peaked my interest with your review. Thanks.

gahome2mom/at/gmail/do/com

traveler said...

This book sounds compelling and amazing. Thanks for featuring this story. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

Ok... your review makes me want to read this book. Please enter me in your giveaway. Thanks.

Unknown said...

I follow through google reader.

Cindy said...

I definitely want to read this one! It sounds very interesting. I live in South Texas so I live close to the border.

Thank you for a great review. I would love to win a copy of this one.

Cindy
Socmom213@aol.com

Belinda M said...

Please include me in your giveaway


Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Chat - join us at CoolCanucks.ca


bluebelle0367(at)hotmail(dot)com

Rue said...

Sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the chance to win!
ruthann (dot) francis (at) gmail (dot) com

Unknown said...

This book sounds fascinating! I have read great reviews, and want to read it. aitmama (at) gmail (dot) com

Unknown said...

Follow you on GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT

Unknown said...

http://twitter.com/aitmama/status/3268438879

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a very controversial and provocative book. It is scary that we never get past labeling and prejudice and that this could happen again today. I'd like to read the book.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

rubynreba said...

I'd like to win this because it would make me think about if this could happen!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Gaby317 said...

This looks so interesting. Please count me in.

gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com

Gaby317 said...

I follow through googlereader

gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com

Admin said...

I've been interested in reading this book because I am interested in issues pertinent to the Latina/o community.

badassfemmes(at)yahoo(dot)com

Thanks!

starryann2000 said...

I would like to win this book because it has the grittiness of real life and gives a wake up call that one must be ever vigilant about how they think and act. please enter me for this book.

starryann2000@yahoo.com

Rebecca N. said...

Ohhh please count me in for this!!! This sounds like such an awful and sad situation :(
Why can't we all just get along??

I really want to read this! You make me want to read it even more!!

Thanks for this giveaway!

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Rebecca N. said...

I follow your blog through google friend connect and I subscribe via google reader!

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Rebecca N. said...

I tweeted!

http://twitter.com/Sparkleglow/status/3570310852

imsosweepy { at } gmail { dot } com

Ally in WA said...

rubymoonstone at gmail dot com


I'd love to win one of the 10 copies because this is a great topic and I like the futuristic twist. By the way, great review (as always)!

Ally in WA said...

I've been following you on Google Friend for awhile now.

rubymoonstone at gmail dot com

Gaby317 said...

As a noncitizen who has spent over half my life studying and working in the US, I find stories involving immigrants and the immigrant experience moving. this book sounds interesting to me in part because of that. also because i love detective novels!

gaby317nyc at gmail dot com

Gaby317 said...

i follow through googlereader and blogger. are those the same as googleconnect?

gaby317nyc at gmail dot com

Gaby317 said...

http://twitter.com/startingfreshny

tweeted!

gaby317nyc at gmail dot com

Lost Without a Clue said...

When I was learning about Jews, African-American or Japanese people that had been segregated because either their religion, skin or race I thought it was amazing that people could do that to one another. As a Latina immigrant to the U.S. there are stereotypes that we must constantly battle. I think this is an amazing book and I would dearly love to read it.

Lost Without a Clue said...

I also follow through google.

Marimasiel@gmail.com

Andrea said...

wow, this book sounds intense, scary to think of something like this happening today

andie.v107(at)yahoo(dot)com

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