Translated by Andrea Rosenberg, this is the story of Liborio, a young man who migrates illegally to “the promised land”, America, for a better life. Xilonen, the 19-year-old writer, said the book was partly inspired by the stories of his grandfather who himself was an immigrant and a boxer.
In prose that is at once inventive, profane and idiosyncratic, The Gringo Champion offers striking insight into the life of people straddling borders. This audacious debut brings attention to the plights of a burgeoning community which has largely been sidelined and discriminated against in the US.
