Greenwich Reads Together

A young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this “gripping memoir” of bravery, hope, and finding family.  Javier’s adventure is a three thousand mile journey from his small town in El Salvador through Guatemala and Mexico across the US border. He leaves behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with his parents. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote”, Javier expects his trip to take two short weeks. Javier cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deception that occur over two life altering months.

A memoir as riveting as it is moving, Solito provides an immediate and intimate account not only of a treacherous and near-impossible journey but also of the miraculous kindness and love delivered at the most unexpected moments. Solito is Javier Zamora’s story, but it is also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.

Javier Zamora was born in the small coastal town of La Herradura, El Salvador in 1990. His father fled the country when he was one and his mother when he was about to turn five. Both parents’ migrations were caused by the US-funded Salvadoran Civil War (1980-1992). Javier was left in the care of his grandparents.  When he was nine, Javier migrated through Guatemala, Mexico, and the Sonoran Desert. His debut poetry collection, “Unaccompanied”, explored the impact of the war and migration on his family.

Javier Zamora earned his BA at the University of California- Berkeley and a MFA from New York University. Javier has been a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University and a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University.  He holds fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.  Javier currently resides in Tuscon, AZ.