Rudy Ruiz's The Border Between Us Featured as National Latino Book Club's March Selection

The National Latino Book Club has selected Rudy Ruiz's poignant coming-of-age novel, The Border Between Us, as its March 2025 Book of the Month, placing the spotlight on one of contemporary fiction's most compelling voices in Latino literature. The selection affirms Ruiz's growing stature in American letters and provides a platform for broader discussion of the immigrant experience in the United States.

Ruiz, who was recently named to the prestigious Joyce Carol Oates Prize long list, joins Alejandro Heredia in a special dual-author focus this month. The pairing creates a rich dialogue between two distinctive literary voices exploring themes of cultural identity, belonging, and the pursuit of the American dream from Latino perspectives.

"The Border Between Us is a stunning, compassionate story about a son's fraught relationship with his father, the challenge of pursuing a creative life when you come from humble beginnings, and the power of embracing the whole of who you are," reads a review from latinolit.com.

Rudy Ruiz's Rising Star

The selection comes at a time when Ruiz's star is rising in the literary world, with critics praising his nuanced portrayal of life along the U.S.-Mexico border and his ability to render complex characters facing the often contradictory demands of heritage and assimilation. His inclusion on the Joyce Carol Oates Prize long list places him among a select group of mid-career authors whose work demonstrates exceptional literary merit and promise for continued contribution to American letters.

The Border Between Us follows protagonist Ramón López, born along the U.S.-Mexico border but determined to escape his circumstances and embrace the American dream as an artist in New York. The novel meticulously explores Ramón's increasingly complicated relationship with his immigrant father, whose entrepreneurial ambitions gradually wither under the harsh realities of immigrant life, and a mother whose attention is largely consumed by Ramón's intellectually disabled younger brother.

The novel's exploration of artistic ambition adds another layer of complexity to Ramón's journey. As a young man with creative aspirations born into modest circumstances, he must overcome not only the practical obstacles of pursuing an artistic career but also the psychological barriers that can arise from being the first in one's family to step into creative pursuits. His struggle reflects the experiences of many first-generation college students and professionals who find themselves juggling unfamiliar cultural and professional territories without family precedent.

Readers Find Resonance

Readers of the National Latino Book Club will find particular resonance in Rudy Ruiz's own background, which parallels aspects of his protagonist's journey. Born in Brownsville, Texas, and raised along the U.S.-Mexico border with extended time living in Matamoros, Mexico, Ruiz didn't speak English until entering school at age five. His journey to Harvard University, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees, mirrors some of the themes in his fiction.

The parallels between author and character offer an interesting dimension for book club discussions, inviting readers to consider the interplay between autobiography and fiction in Ruiz's work. While The Border Between Us is clearly a work of the imagination, it draws on emotional truths and cultural experiences familiar to the author.

Ruiz has established himself as more than an author. He's known as an advocate and social entrepreneur dedicated to improving the well-being of immigrants and minorities and fostering positive relations between diverse cultures. His professional endeavors reflect his commitment to addressing some of the very issues he explores in his fiction, creating a noteworthy continuity between his creative work and his advocacy.

He currently resides in San Antonio with his wife, Heather, and their two children, Paloma and Lorenzo, while maintaining deep connections to the border culture that informed his early years. His continued engagement with border communities informs the authenticity that critics have praised in his literary portrayals.

Exploring the National Latino Book Club

The National Latino Book Club's selection of The Border Between Us continues the organization's mission of highlighting important works that explore the diverse experiences of Latino communities across the United States. Founded with the goal of increasing visibility for Latino authors and stories, it's grown into an influential platform for literary discovery and cultural conversation.

Each month, the club selects titles that showcase the breadth and depth of Latino literature, from established classics to emerging voices. The selections span genres and styles, reflecting the diversity within Latino literary production. Previous selections have included historical fiction, memoir, short story collections, poetry, and works in translation from Spanish, offering members a comprehensive view of Latino literary achievement.

The club provides reading guides, virtual discussion opportunities, and sometimes author Q&A sessions for members engaging with each month's selection. These resources create a structured yet flexible framework for readers to deepen their understanding of the featured works and engage with other readers about their experiences with the text.

Reaching Rudy Ruiz

The selection of Ruiz's novel comes at a time when border issues occupy a central place in American political discourse. Against this backdrop, The Border Between Us offers readers a nuanced exploration of the human dimensions of life along the border, moving beyond headlines and statistics to illuminate the complex emotional and cultural realities of borderland communities.

Literary critics have praised Ruiz's evocative prose and his ability to balance the personal and the political in his narrative. The novel's exploration of familial relationships provides an intimate lens through which to view broader questions of cultural identity and belonging, while its border setting grounds these universal themes in a specific American reality.

Members interested in learning more about Ruiz can visit his website at rudyruiz.com or follow him on social media where he engages with readers and shares insights about his writing process and inspirations.

Published by Blackstone Publishing, The Border Between Us is available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats, making it accessible to readers with different preferences for engaging with text.

As the National Latino Book Club's March selection, it will reach an audience of committed readers eager to explore the diversity of Latino experiences through literature. The club's endorsement highlights the novel's literary merit and its cultural significance as a work that illuminates a consequential facet of the American experience.