The Book of Rosy: A Mother's Story of Separation at the Border

A searing tale of the human lives behind the Trump administration-made immigration crisis, written by two remarkable mothers—a Central American woman whose children were taken from her by the United States government at the southern border, and the American who helped reunite the family—and offers a timely and urgent look at a migrant experience, family separation and reunification, and the power of individuals banding together to overcome even the cruelest and most unjust circumstances.

When Rosayra Pablo Cruz made the wrenching decision to seek asylum in America with two of her children, five-year-old Fernando, and fifteen-year-old Yordy, she knew the journey would be incredibly difficult, dangerous, and potentially deadly. But violence had made life in Guatemala untenable; Rosy knew her family’s only chance to survive was to go north.

After surviving a perilous journey that left them dehydrated, starved, and exhausted, Rosy, Fernando, and Yordy crossed into Arizona, together. Almost immediately, mother and children were forcibly separated by government officials under the Department of Homeland Security’s “zero tolerance” policy.

In The Book of Rosy, Rosy and Julie Schwietert Collazo, founder of Immigrant Families Together, tell Rosy’s story, exposing the cruel conditions of the detention facilities, the unbearable anxiety of having her children ripped away, and the faith and love that helped her through the darkest time.

An unflinching look at the human cost of inhumane policies, and the unbreakable bonds of family, faith, and community, The Book of Rosy offers a much-needed glimpse into the human side of a polarizing issue that continues to grip our nation’s politics.