Earth Angel with a Green Card: One Mexican Woman’s Journey of Faith, Hope, and Dreams to Join her Children in the USA
By: Edgar H. Hernandez MD / Narrated By: Shihara Austin
Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
Time Hopping made me dizzy, but this is still a fine tribute to a dearly loved Mama
This is not the only book out there written by Edgar H. Hernandez MD. I have another of his journey to become a surgeon, and I’m asSUMing that THAT one won’t have as much Time Hopping given it seems like it’d be a more linear story.
But come to think of it, Earth Angel with a Green Card would kinda sorta be a linear tale as well. It opens as such with Nena (The earth angel) and her time in Mexico, and it starts with her encounter with the man who would become her first husband, the father of Edgar and many many sibs. Apparently dad Miguel was a gifted doctor/dentist, but his addictions to smoking and drinking got him booted outta school. Miguel finds his place in the small town where his skills are very much needed.
Alas, despite the couple having a gazillion and six children, Miguel never quite gets his act together, and he leaves Nena as the solitary parent, dying most horribly, coughing up blood for eons, getting jaundiced. You name it, the cigarettes and alcohol did it to ‘im. As Nena had been farming out her children so they might have better lives with friends and relatives, she’s no newbie to strife and suffering.
And so this story goes with the Part One as Nena’s life in Mexico, doing the best she can. Then Part Two is her life in America. Seems straight forward, yes.
Noooot quiiiiite. Cuz see, Dr. Hernandez follows a timeline of his mother’s life, until he doesn’t. Throughout the entire audiobook, he hops back and forth between her life and his own journey in Mexico and in the States, also hopping around from his time as a youngun’ all the way to his experiences as a surgeon. There’s no rhyme, no reason, just reeeeally confusing anecdotes sneaked in to prove a point, maaaaybe. Oh heck, I dunno: I’m just surmising here.
Okay, so that all was jarring, but here are the good parts of the story. His Mom was an AWEsome person, one who knew her family was assisted by friends and various officials as the whole brood followed the law (Except for a 7 1/2 month stint where Edgar was undocumented and was nearly deported two times). As such, this woman who enTIREly followed the words of the Bible, the teachings of Christian goodwill, opened their home to ANYone who needed assistance. She asked for nothing in return, and the one rule: No booze, no smoking for the length of their stay with her family and her.
The family helped multitudes, even societal pariahs, helped them as they themselves navigated an immigration system that was, however difficult, p’raps a tad more forgiving (Tho’ there is one pretty awful time when Nena is taken up during a raid. Her good friend blazes off to bring the authorities Nena’s green card, and as she’s released she sees the many many individuals who are sent to the border, most likely leaving loved ones, families, behind).
The book is at its best when it sticks to Nena’s good works, with her just plain good nature. In a perpetual Pay It Forward mode, it’s simply lovely how she walked her talk, opening doors with conversation, sharing a meal even with La Migra, praying for and befriending even gang members who beat the bejesus outta Edgar at school. Nobody too low, no aspiration too high, Nena just kept her Bible (Which she couldn’t read until in her dotage), and sent up prayers, opening the door for miracles, changes of heart.
So that’s good, when we’re able to stick with her story. But oy! Add to that the narration was just a trifle subpar as Shihara Austin reads this like she’s gathering a group of unruly fifth graders together, or as tho’ she’s in the process of tucking kids in bed. She has a near monotone throughout, but at least a woman was tasked with narration duties, making it feel like we’re that much closer to Nena and her journeys. Suffice it to say that Nena’s grandson’s Foreword wound up being my favorite part cuz nuthin’ says LOVE like a grandkid for a beloved abuelita.
I’m really glad I listened to this, even if I did have to pull back and scratch m’ head whilst trying to keep track of just what part of the family’s odyssey was being spoken of. What a remarkable life, what an inCREDible woman (-And- their neighbor/friend was just as angelic!).
May we all be so blessed as to bear witness to an individual like Nena at SOME point in our own lives.
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