(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“We were a family of emigrants, on the move from generation to generation. Forced to flee our homes because of intolerable situations imposed on us by those in power. The United States was meant to be the last stop on that journey.”
Such is the case of thirty-six-year-old attorney and recovering addict Marc Mendes. His father is Rabbi Gabriel Mendes who fled Aleppo, Syria with his grandmother in the late 1930s to escape violence against Jews. They ended up in Cuba, and twenty-three years later his parents left Cuba due to religious intolerance and settled in Los Angeles in a Sephardic community.
Marc later moved to San Francisco with his partner, paralegal Isaac Perez, a refugee from El Salvador (which is a heart-breaking story of itself). In 1997, six years into their relationship, Isaac is threatened with deportation. Will Marc help him fight it, or move back with him to El Salvador, or possibly request asylum in another country? Remember, this is before same-sex marriage was legal in the United States.
There’s more to it though. A handsome former client stalks Marc and challenges his relationship with Isaac as well as his sobriety. But Marc carries another dark, painful secret that we slowly learn the truth about.
There are so many layers that add depth to this story. It may sound like there’s a lot here, but all elements are interwoven flawlessly. From religion to addiction to immigration, to social commentary, they’re all deeply thought out. This is especially true of the family dynamics that play out in unexpected ways. And we can’t forget that’s it’s also a riveting thriller.
Author Orlando Ortega-Media started writing a memoir but came to the realization that “a memoir forced in anger made for an unpleasant read.” Twenty years later he reimagined it as a novel. Perhaps this is the reason that the story seems so personal.
In any event, The Fitful Sleep of Immigrants is a must-read for those who wish to delve into the human condition, as well as enjoying an exciting thriller.
