Solito Audiobook By Javier Zamora cover art

Solito

A Memoir

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Solito

By: Javier Zamora
Narrated by: Javier Zamora
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New York Times Bestseller • Read With Jenna Book Club Pick as seen on Today • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiography • Winner of the American Library Association Alex Award • A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century

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” (NPR) of bravery, hope, and finding family.

Finalist for the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction • One of the New York Public Library’s Ten Best Books of the Year

Longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence and the PEN/Open Book Award

“I read Solito with my heart in my throat and did not burst into tears until the last sentence. What a person, what a writer, what a book.”—Emma Straub
“A riveting tale of perseverance and the lengths humans will go to help each other in times of struggle.”—Dave Eggers

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Vulture, She Reads, Kirkus Reviews

Trip. My parents started using that word about a year ago—“one day, you’ll take a trip to be with us. Like an adventure.”

Javier Zamora’s adventure is a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his beloved aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone amid a group of strangers and a “coyote” hired to lead them to safety, Javier expects his trip to last two short weeks.

At nine years old, all Javier can imagine is rushing into his parents’ arms, snuggling in bed between them, and living under the same roof again. He cannot foresee the perilous boat trips, relentless desert treks, pointed guns, arrests and deceptions that await him; nor can he know that those two weeks will expand into two life-altering months alongside fellow migrants who will come to encircle him like an unexpected family.

A memoir as gripping 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’s also the story of millions of others who had no choice but to leave home.

Accolades & Awards

Memoir Essentials
Los Angeles Times Book Prize
2022
Biographies & Memoirs Latino & Hispanic Creators Los Angeles Times Book Prize Memoir Essentials Emigration & Immigration Thought-Provoking Heartfelt Memoir Suspenseful Inspiring Social Sciences
News and Nonfiction Get the stories beyond the headlines

Featured Article: The top 100 memoirs of all time


All genres considered, the memoir is among the most difficult and complex for a writer to pull off. After all, giving voice to your own lived experience and recounting deeply painful or uncomfortable memories in a way that still engages and entertains is a remarkable feat. These autobiographies, often narrated by the authors themselves, shine with raw, unfiltered emotion sure to resonate with any listener. But don't just take our word for it—queue up any one of these listens, and you'll hear exactly what we mean.

Featured Article The top 100 memoirs of all time
Authentic Perspective • Poetic Writing • Authentic Emotional Narration • Emotional Depth • Cultural Authenticity

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Beautifully written and narrated. Emotional and true and sad and happy. What a story - thank you for sharing with the world.

So very good

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Javier, thank you for reaching powerfully beneath the congealed layers of fear and hate, beneath borders and boundaries of self and other. Any ember of love that persists will be rekindled by your words, burning away the lies that separate us from each other. Thank you, Javier.

Melt the cold heart of nationalism

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Loved this book. Very emotional and moving. Reinforces my belief we are all people, people, people.

Very moving

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Thank you for shining a new light on immigration. I am moved and will take this to my world as I interact with my “gringo” immigrant friends and neighbors.

Unforgettable

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Very long but very worth it!!! The detail and scope of his journey really showcases the worst and best parts of human. Simply amazing.

Wow!!

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