The line becomes a river

The line becomes a river: dispatches from the border / Francisco Cantu, 250 pgs.

The author is the grandson of a Mexican immigrant.  He joins the border patrol and works there for 4 years.  Although some of his experiences are positive, he is worn down by the daily suffering and horror of people attempting to cross the border.  Many dead bodies or very ill people who can not make the trip. Sometimes seeing the same people over and over again.  The job takes a toll and he leaves.  In his next job, he is running a coffee counter while in school.  He is befriended by Jose, a man who works in the same plaza.  They share meals and coffee every day.  When Jose returns to Mexico to be with his dying mother, he is detained at the border.  Jose's family is still in the US and his three sons are citizens.  Cantu becomes involved in the legal effort to get Jose back into the country.  Much of this book reveals raw and real emotions. Not much of it is happy.