Crossing the Wire Review

Something I have worked on substantially in my artistic life as well as my home life is the idea of what makes a boy into a man. The idea that you provide for someone selflessly continues to come up every time I search for answers. Crossing The Wire by Will Hobbs discusses the issue in exactly that way. Though the book has many political implications and commentary, at its core Crossing The Wire is about becoming a man. The main character, Victor Flores, as a teenager is faced with being the primary food bringer and man of the house for his mother and sisters. As a man of 22 I am astounded by the relationship Victor has with his family and the understanding he has of the burden he has to support his family. Hobbs writes in a way that paints Victor as an example of hope for the youth in Mexico.

At no point in the book does Victor even question the idea that he has to provide for his family. At times he struggles with how he will do it, and he often remarks on how unfair his predicament is, but he does not question why he has to provide for his family. He never considers abandoning them. This is what distinguishes him from his best friend, who is running from his family to try to get rich. Throughout the novel it is clear Victor is becoming a man.

One moment that stands out as climactic for Victor’s journey is when he could risk getting onto an inner-tube and trying to float through a tunnel into America. He knows it’s risky and says he would do it if it were just him. Victor’s journey however, is a selfless one. He is not trying to get to America for riches and he realizes the danger is too great for his family should he die in the tunnel.

The book sends a strong message about manhood and does not shy away from making other strong statements. Hobbs writes a majority of the dialogue as radically anti-American. It’s possible that this does not reflect on Hobbs himself since he visited Mexico and probably overheard a large amount of anti-American sentiment. It’s hard to ignore the overwhelming tone of hatred toward the way migrant workers are treated as they try to cross the border.

The most surprising antagonists in the book however, were not Americans. The “coyotes” who accept thousands of dollars to guide Mexicans across the border seemed to be the most evil characters portrayed in the novel. I commonly complain that universities make college students into cash cows by nickel and diming us to everlasting debt, but these “coyotes” make money even if no one survives. It is a brutal world that is being taken advantage of. Despite its dark aspects, Crossing the Wire offered substantial hope for all of the characters. It’s unclear exactly what happens to everyone, but Victor is hopeful and so is the tone of the book.