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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

What If Living The Dream Became Your Worst Nightmare

by Chautona Havig · 14 Comments

“The law is the law, and they’re breaking it.  If I break the law, I have to pay the consequences—whatever that is.  They should have to, too.”

I have to admit.  I agreed.

Seated opposite us, the woman spoke with passion. “And what about loving our neighbor?  What about the people who are damaged by those laws? Why are even Christians more concerned with getting rid of an inconvenience than by showing love to one another?”

Being the hypocrite I am, I also agreed with her.

Then I remembered my friend’s mother.  They’d come over from Mexico when my friend was a baby. Thirty years later, both of my friend’s parents were granted citizenship, and the media was there, ready to pounce.  They shoved microphones at the dear couple I love so much and asked for a statement on immigration and “the number of illegals in America.”

In her heavy Spanish accent, my friend’s mother said, “They need to do it right.  They need to come here the right way.” (Psst… that woman was the inspiration for Mrs. Montoya’s Mexican food in Argosy Junction and she’s the woman who helped me when I got a crochet needle in my foot.)

Before I could tell that story and see how it affected things, the debate continued—the financial drain on our resources.  A rebuttal came that I’d never heard before. “If we cut back immigration hunts to only criminals, and if we deported every criminal instead of incarcerating them, perhaps we’d have the resources we need.”

Look, I have no idea if that’s even possible, but I hadn’t thought of it before.  A counter-rebuttal followed—one I expected.  “The fact remains that even if they commit no other crime once they arrive, their presence here without having come through legally is evidence that they are  criminals.”

And technically, he was right.

Look, I get the immigration issue.

I’ve watched it in my family, and it’s horrible. My brother was murdered by a Romanian who entered the United States illegally.  He was deported and was back in the US in no time flat.

I also have a Romanian nephew by marriage.  He tried to come legally and ended up in an immigration mess anyway.  He was deported.  To keep their family together, my niece had to pack up their children and move to Romania, far from family, to learn an unfamiliar language—to change her entire lifestyle.  And she did it legally, if that matters to anyone.

Then there are the children.   Whether their parents brought them here and they arrived undocumented or whether they were born here to undocumented parents, one thing is certain.  They got a raw deal, and it’s not their fault.

That’s where the conversation had turned when she turned to me.  “I can’t believe you haven’t said anything.”

Translation: You have an opinion on everything.  Why aren’t you talking?

Until that moment, I couldn’t have articulated anything.  I understood both sides of the argument. I agreed with both sides of the argument.  In fact, I still do.

I told you I’m a hypocrite.

But in that moment, I figured out what to say. Because in that moment I realized how I really thought about things.

I said, “There are two separate issues here, but we’re talking about them as if there is only one.  That’s the problem.”

Turning to her, I said, “As a Christian, I completely agree with you.  These people are my ‘neighbors’ Jesus talks about.  I am to love them, feed them, shelter them, help them.  Period.”

To him, I said, “As a citizen of the United States, I agree with you. When you break the law, it is the responsibility of the government to apply whatever consequence the government has decided fits that crime.”

I believe these things.  Furthermore, I don’t think these beliefs are contradictory.  If I don’t like the law, I can work to help have it changed.  But I cannot condemn those who want the law upheld.  It is the law. And while as a Christian my responsibility is to live out Matthew 25:34-40.  I feed, clothe, and take care of people as unto the Lord. Period.  But as a citizen, I am to recognize that governing authorities are put there by the Lord and I must submit to that where I can.

This is one reason I am so grateful to live in the United States of America.  If I don’t like where my governing authorities are taking my country, I can fight for change—legally and while not disobeying the Lord to do it.  It’s part of the laws that protect me here.

To the curious: none of us changed our minds that day.

I didn’t think we would.  Let’s face it, though.  We rarely do.  People don’t know how to debate anymore without getting offended, so I avoid controversial topics. Still, I am willing to be proven wrong, and it’s why I joined a conversation I’d usually avoid.

Not long after that, though, I heard about a book. Vivir el Dream. The cover didn’t interest me, so I didn’t read the synopsis at first. Then a discussion came up in a group I ended up in, and I went to read that synopsis.  Frankly, I was on the fence.

So, with a million other books calling my name, I just left it there on the “someday” list.  Then the opportunity to request a review copy came, and well, I decided maybe it was time to just read it.  I filled out the form and waited.  Last night, I read the book.

What If Living The Dream Became Your Worst Nightmare-- Vivir el Dream review

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

What If Living The Dream Became Your Worst Nightmare?

From the opening line to the last word, Allison Garcia writes a tale that I’ve seen over and over in my lifetime. Families torn apart—either by necessity of one parent coming to the USA to work and send home money or by deportation when someone can’t show proper documentation to be able to live and work in the US.

While a decided bias does show through the pages of Vivir el Dream, I have to applaud Ms. Garcia for showing an accurate portrayal of people on all sides.  From criminals on both sides of the issue to people of character as well, she weaves lives together and creates beauty and tragedy until you can’t help but want to fight for a solution that addresses everyone’s concerns.

As much as I loved the characters and their stories, there are a few things I have to address before I can offer my recommendation.

  1. The book contains more than just a smattering of Spanish.

Additionally, it isn’t woven in such a way that you can figure it out from context or another person’s response (although that does happen sometimes).  I understand a lot more Spanish than I speak, and I found it difficult to follow most of the time.

To aid in this, Ms. Garcia has given footnotes.  You’d read along, stop.  Find the footnote, get the translation, search back for your place, and read some more until the next one.  It wasn’t unusual to have four to six on a page.

That pulled me out of the story so much that I have to confess.  If I’d not agreed to read and review—if I hadn’t requested a review copy, I would have stopped.  Yes, in the end, it was worth it, but I think partly because about halfway through, I learned to read all the footnotes at the end of a page before reading a page.  That made it easier to put the words in context right away.

  1. Vivir el Dream contains more than one detailed reference to rape.

I almost didn’t move past the first.  Again. I requested a review copy. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have. We all have those topics that we just can’t handle, and while I shouldn’t be surprised that this would be included, I wasn’t prepared. Ms. Garcia does not go into hyper-descriptive detail, but for some of us, it was too much.  That’s my problem, not hers.  But it could be someone else’s problem, too.  So I mention it.

So, with all that, who do I recommend Vivir el Dream for?

People who want to understand immigration from the perspective of those who are caught in a no-win situation will enjoy this well-written, thought-provoking story of the search for that elusive “American Dream” and will see that it does sometimes become a living nightmare.  My hope for this book is that, regardless of political opinion, the church will see it as a call for where to step up and be the difference.

I hear the complaint all the time.  “The church should be dealing with that” in regard to things like welfare.  However, the government has taken it over, and that’s when things tend to stay where they are.  Well, here’s a spot we can make a difference.  We can love.  We can serve.  For goodness’ sake, we can be that Samaritan.  We can serve anyone, regardless of immigration status.

And if we don’t like the laws regarding immigration, we can work to change them.  All of those are Biblical responses to a divisive issue.  There’s no reason, then, that we should remain divided about those points.

It’s my opinion that it doesn’t matter if we agree with the author’s personal stance on immigration, The Dream Act, or anything else. What matters are people. And what she did best with Vivir el Dream was show us the humanity behind the statistics, the rhetoric, the politics.

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Comments

  1. Ally Swanson says

    March 31, 2019 at 7:46 pm

    Fantastic post! This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read! I have added it to my TBR List and look forward to checking it out!

    Reply
  2. Jodi Hunter says

    March 31, 2019 at 6:00 pm

    Sounds like an interesting read.

    Reply
  3. Allison K. Garcia says

    March 31, 2019 at 3:44 pm

    Thanks so much for your review!

    Reply
  4. James Robert says

    March 30, 2019 at 12:12 am

    I appreciate you taking the time to give us a great book description and giveaway as well. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  5. Amelia says

    March 29, 2019 at 8:40 pm

    I love reading your reviews. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 29, 2019 at 10:02 pm

      Thank you. This one was tough to write. I wanted to do the book justice, but I didn’t want to pretend that there weren’t issues as well.

      Reply
  6. Joy @ Real World Bible Study says

    March 29, 2019 at 8:00 pm

    I love the way you handled this – both the immigration topic (we’re 100% in alignment, there, btw) and the book. I didn’t get disrupted by the Spanish so much, but I am from Vista…lol.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 29, 2019 at 10:03 pm

      The pages with two or three were easy for me. It was weird, but those pages tended to also have words that I just knew. But the pages with five or six, would have entire sentences that I couldn’t figure out from context. I was so frustrated by it, and I assume people who don’t know as much as I do would find it difficult.

      Reply
  7. Emma says

    March 29, 2019 at 7:31 pm

    This book sounds really interesting–but I appreciate your warnings. Sounds like one that would not work well in Kindle format. I have a friend who married an illegal Mexican, then ended up spending 10-11 years in Mexico with him while he worked on immigrating legally. They only just got permission to return a few months ago. This is an issue that comes close to home for many Americans!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 29, 2019 at 10:04 pm

      If you have someone sending a box or coming to see you, let me know. I’ll send it to them for you.

      Reply
  8. Connie says

    March 29, 2019 at 10:01 am

    Wow! Sounds like a truly moving story. I’m not up to reading it right now. Someday I hope too. Our duty as a christian versus the duty of the governing laws. I pray there can be changes made to the governing laws to better help those who are not a criminal be able to make a new life.

    Reply
  9. Andrea Stoeckel says

    March 29, 2019 at 9:44 am

    We have the same “situation here and we are a “sanctuary city”. Have been since the Underground Railroad. Beginning during Vietnam, Catholic Charities brought many refugees here because of things like GE, and Carrier, and other light industry. With the last of the Cubanos from about 15 years ago, the arguments have been multitudinous. GE And Carrier are long gone. This is ranked as the 5th poorest city of its size in America. It’s got a 50% High School drop-out rate and a 300% overpopulation in the criminal justice system.

    But that’s not the immigrants and the refugees. Small family stores thrive in pockets all over town. Areas blighted are one by one coming back to life. The Charter School started 12 years ago is now rated the best school in the area. The refugees who couldn’t’ or weren’t allowed to read and learn now show up the “townies”. That’s where Syracuse is. Tiny step by tiny step a model for being part of a community is being shaped. Yes, there are the ones who complain and the newscasters see what they can dig up. But, right now, our arguments are about infrastructure not refugees, thanx be to G-d.

    Reply
  10. Vicki Hancock says

    March 29, 2019 at 9:04 am

    I’m like you. I see both sides of this issue. There has got to be an in between somewhere.
    I will not go polical on here but I’ve read some stories that are heartbreaking! I’ve also read some that tick me off on the other side.
    I really think I will read this book.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      March 29, 2019 at 11:48 am

      I have personal knowledge of both sides of the issue being the problem and the solution. It really isn’t a simple thing. But for Christians, our responsibility is. Regardless of what the government does, we’ve been called to obey–to love our neighbor. Period. That may not always look how our neighbor wants it to, but it must always look how our Lord does.

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

Hey, we’re back after a couple of weeks of vacation, and boy did I need it. And, have I got a fabulous interview for you. Nancy Naigle and I talked about her books, her most recent release, What Remains True as well as her Christmas books and the one I’m most anxious to read, The Shell Collector. Listen in and learn about what Nancy says about this bet she has going on in What Remains True. Great stuff!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Need a Great Romantic Read to Wind Up Your Summer Reads?

As I said in the podcast, a while back, someone told me I’d LOVE The Shell Collector–one of those people who recommends books you HAVE to read if they say you do.  So I bought it and it’s been sitting on my shelf ever since. Well, now it’s on my GoodReads shelf, and I’m about to start it (and I optimistically thought I’d be done with it by the time this episode released. Oh, me of too much faith in myself and my time management!)

Author of over thirty books, not to mention a bestselling author who also has movies made of her novels (And The Shell Collector has been optioned! EEEP!), Nancy loves to write Christmas books and small-town stories. Seriously, as we talked, I felt like she was talking about me half the time. We’re so very alike in so many ways. It was fun.

Nancy also pointed out that her first books (if you go WAY back) are not Christian fiction and are a bit spicier than she prefers to write and definitely more than she writes today. So be warned there, but she did assure us that they are all closed-door books.

What Remains True by Nancy Naigle

One woman wants to win a bet. One man wants to become a rodeo champion. One little girl may give them both something even better—from USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle.

“A commitment-phobic rodeo star and a divorcée with secrets find love in this wholesome romance. . . . As uplifting as it is sweet.”—Publishers Weekly

Working at a little shop on Main Street in a small town is exactly the break that executive Merry Anna Foster needs following her divorce. She’s made a bet with her ex-husband that she can live on the amount of money she’s giving him in alimony. If she can do it, then Kevin will have to stop complaining and leave her alone. But after three months of this new life, will she even want to leave Antler Creek?

Adam Locklear, bull rider and owner of the local feedstore, is having the best year of his rodeo career. He’s also a bit distracted by the pretty new neighbor living in his old bunkhouse. But Adam has no time for matters of the heart. He’s got his future all mapped out, and that future doesn’t involve a woman just yet. It doesn’t involve parenting a little girl either. However, Carly Fowler still suddenly leaves five-year-old Zan—the daughter Adam didn’t know he had—in his care.

Is it possible that the future holds a life even better than what Merry Anna and Adam had each dreamed of? One that includes both tenderness and even love—not just for each other but for Zan too?

You can learn more about Nancy’s books and movies on her WEBSITE.

Oh, and PSST… I’m loving the audiobook of this one!

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Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
August 9, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 161: A Chat with Christian Women's Fiction Robin W. Pearson
July 26, 2022
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Episode 160: A Chat with Liz Johnson about The Last Way Home
July 22, 2022
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Episode 159: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Mesu Andrews
July 19, 2022
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A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Stephanie Landsem
July 12, 2022
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Episode 157: A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Lynn Austin
July 8, 2022
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Episode 156: The Fragrance of Violets by Susan K. Beatty
July 5, 2022
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July 1, 2022
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Episode 154: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Sami A. Abrams
June 28, 2022
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Episode 153: A Chat with Historical Author, Tracie Peterson
June 21, 2022
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