Barbarian nurseries, by Hector Tobar

Scott Torres and his wife, Maureen Thompson-Torres live in a gated Los Angeles community with their two young sons and infant daughter. Scott made a killing in software, but that bubble has burst. To economize, he lets the gardener and nanny go, leaving the cook/housekeeper, Araceli, as the lone Mexican servant in the household. No increase in pay, just more work. Their marriage is increasingly difficult, and when an argument leads to both leaving without the other knowing, Araceli is left alone with the two sons (Maureen having taking her daughter with her). Not knowing what to do, unable to reach anyone on the list on the refrigerator, and fearing the children will be placed in foster care (which she has no idea what is, but it sounds bad), she leaves on an epic journey through the many different worlds of Los Angeles searching for the children’s Mexican-American grandfather, who has been banned from the home. Not speaking Spanish myself, I shared in her confusion when important things were said in a language unfamiliar to me, and the sheltered sons’ impressions of the alien worlds they encounter are both funny and frightening. When the boys’ disappearance is discovered, the media becomes involved in a classic “young white children in danger” headline-grabber and Araceli’s illegal status becomes a sensational story. Although the author’s sympathies clearly lie on one side, this well-written novel even-handedly illuminates many sides of this immigrant experience. 432 pp.