An Uninterrupted View of the Sky

Crowder, Melanie. An Uninterrupted View of the Sky. 2017. 289p. ISBN 978-0-399-16900-7. Available at FIC CRO on the library shelves.

Bolivia is at the center of the worldwide cocaine production. The United States, the biggest consumer of cocaine, pressured Bolivia to pass stringent narco trafficking laws to address the problem at the source instead of at its destination. Known as the 1008, this law strips Bolivians of their assets and their due process, even though this violates the Bolivian constitution.

In 1999, Francisco lives a middle class life. His family rents a house, he goes to school, and he’s about to graduate in a few weeks. Francisco’s real passion is soccer, and his ultimate goal is to start a soccer apparel shop with his best friend Reynaldo, but his father, who drives a taxi, insists he continues his studies. His 8-year-old sister sister Pilar adores him, but they share a bedroom and Francisco wishes he had more privacy.

When his mother arrives in a panic by the soccer pitch to retrieve him, Francisco knows something is wrong. His father has been arrested under the 1008 for being a suspect in transporting cocaine. The taxi has been seized, and the family can no longer afford their rental property, much less hire a lawyer to defend him. Overnight the children are forced to move in the prison with their father, while their mother simply abandons the family behind.

Life in prison is terrible. Francisco and Pilar are allowed to leave every day, but must be back by 6 pm. There are other kids who live here and also attend their schools. The prison also houses criminals as well as suspects, and many of them are dangerous. Francisco cannot believe that the government would allow this travesty to happen, but every day he wakes up wondering what will happen next. And if Francisco found his lack of privacy difficult before when sharing a room with his sister, it’s nothing compared to sharing a cell with his sister and father. Now Francisco has a goal. He needs to study to become a lawyer so he can help his dad, but going to school while living in prison is hard. His father has a plan for the family. He wants them to go live with his parents, in the Bolivian mountains, but dark-skinned peasants are considered uncultured and uncivilized, and Francisco doesn’t want to go live with them, away from the city. With his fate and that of his sister in his hand, Francisco has difficult choices ahead of him, if only he can survive another day in prison.

Inspired by true events, Francisco’s story will inspire while confronting the harsh reality of a justice system unable to deliver true justice. Readers who enjoy tragic losses will appreciate Francisco’s changes of circumstances for the worst and the steps he takes to try and fix the scales of justice, but don’t expect a happy ending, just an uninterrupted view of the sky.