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Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here

By: Jonathan Blitzer
Narrated by: Jonathan Blitzer, André Santana
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Publisher's summary

A National Bestseller • Nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence and the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction • One of Barack Obama's Summer Reading List Picks Named a Best Book of 2024 (So Far) by New York Times

“What an incredibly thorough documentation of the causes of the immigration crisis, the discussions that have been going on through multiple administrations.”—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here is sure to take its place as one of the definitive accounts of the U.S. and Central American immigration puzzle. . . . Hopefully, those with the power to change things will listen.”—Manuel Roig-Franzia, Washington Post

“[A] timely and instructive history of the immigration crisis . . . Conflicts over immigration often arise from similarity rather than difference, and the strangers at our border have a familiar history that Blitzer tells in meticulous and vivid detail. It is our own.”—Matthieu Aikins, The New York Times

An epic, heartbreaking, and deeply reported history of the disastrous humanitarian crisis at the southern border told through the lives of the migrants forced to risk everything and the policymakers who determine their fate, by New Yorker staff writer Jonathan Blitzer

Everyone who makes the journey faces an impossible choice. Hundreds of thousands of people who arrive every year at the US-Mexico border travel far from their homes. An overwhelming share of them come from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, although many migrants come from farther away. Some are fleeing persecution, others crime or hunger. Very often it will not be their first attempt to cross. They may have already been deported from the United States, but it remains their only hope for safety and prosperity. Their homes have become uninhabitable. They will take their chances.

This vast and unremitting crisis did not spring up overnight. Indeed, as Blitzer dramatizes with forensic, unprecedented reporting, it is the result of decades of misguided policy and sweeping corruption. Brilliantly weaving the stories of Central Americans whose lives have been devastated by chronic political conflict and violence with those of American activists, government officials, and the politicians responsible for the country’s tragically tangled immigration policy, Blitzer reveals the full, layered picture for the first time.

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here is an odyssey of struggle and resilience. With astonishing nuance and detail, Blitzer tells an epic story about the people whose lives ebb and flow across the border, and in doing so, he delves into the heart of American life itself. This vital and remarkable story has shaped the nation’s turbulent politics and culture in countless ways—and will almost certainly determine its future.

©2024 Jonathan Blitzer (P)2024 Penguin Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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Critic reviews

“As Jonathan Blitzer shows in Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here, his timely and instructive history of the immigration crisis, the trouble at the border isn’t likely to be solved soon, since it is the outcome of a long and vexed entanglement between the United States and its southern neighbors . . . Conflicts over immigration often arise from similarity rather than difference, and the strangers at our border have a familiar history that Blitzer tells in meticulous and vivid detail. It is our own.” —Matthieu Aikins, The New York Times

“What an incredibly thorough documentation of the causes of the immigration crisis, the discussions that have been going on through multiple administrations.” —Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

“Powerful and deeply compelling, Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here shows how Central American migration has created deep interconnections between the US, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. This story reminds readers that migration is not only a political issue but a human one.” —Ana Raquel Minian, author of In the Shadow of Liberty

What listeners say about Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here

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    3 out of 5 stars

Worth the time, a lot of investment though

I read and listen to a lot of nonfiction books, particularly United States and United States history history. When I got this book, I was expecting more along the lines of typical nonfiction books, going through policies and events, which this book definitely does. However, there is a lot of storytelling in here. Which, at first was kind of a turn off for me and I was about ready to stop listening. Not that the stories were not appealing, but I wanted to talk more about the events and policies. Over the course of the book, I grew to appreciate the stories that were told. All of them had their own significance and I got a real prospective of what it must’ve been like for these people who were just trying to get better lives. To me, as someone who knows little to no immigration history, or anything like that, the idea that most of these people Were not looking to the US as thier home, they were looking to go back to their home countries. That fact, kind of made me look at it a different angle. As my title says, this book is a lot of investment as a listener in my opinion, but worth it

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Well done

Very good explanation of how our immigration system works and how badly it needs funding and reform

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Learning the history through individual lives.

The history of Central America and the US involvement has always been vague to me. I knew things, I didn't understand others, but this book created a timeline that put everything in order. It's a complete and fascinating and horrible story all at the same time. I wish everyone understood how our involvement in the governments makes us culpable. We need to do more to actually help the people we've caused pain. If we had the will, we would find a way.

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How America Created its Own Border Problem

As I read this, it occurs to me that the former President would make the US as unstable as the Latin American countries we have helped destabilize over the past century. Using false news and stats, he would rig the election results, install submissive judges and energize his own private army of gangs.

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An epic story of different people who worked for justice in the Central American wars that were often created by the US.

Well read by the Author.., Word word word word word word s astupid to require 15 words

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The truth behind numbers

The book make the people behind the numbers real. Although continuity was a bit jumpy I enjoy the story.

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Level of knowledge

I loved that there was an account of experiences ranging from refugees to gang environment to political leaders! Brilliantly executed from the author and it’s clear he did a significant amount of research and involvement:) I absolutely love that!

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Interesting Historical

Good job portraying and sharing the history of Central America. Liked the narrative of various peoples stories. Slightly disjointed at the end and with the change in readers on Audible I was really lost. Good material we should all be more familiar with, and bringing that forward was valuable.

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Nuanced Informative History

A nourishing, evocative, and well-researched book on immigration. The different points-of-view were fascinating. I feel like I have a thorough document of the issues from all sides. Thank you for writing this, Jonathan.

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Excellent research

I have followed Central American politics for years, but this book was extremely informative and enlightening. The performance was top notch as well. Highly recommend.

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