This book is an intriguing mix of personal memoir, Mexican drug trade reporting, and a historical overview of Mexico in the late 20th century. This book is also much more than those things too: the author, Alfredo Corchado, navigates his heartache and longing for a Mexico that no longer exists, a place where he was born and where his family decided to leave in order to find a better life in the U.S. when he was just a child.  Interwoven throughout these explorations of U.S. and Mexican identities and histories, there is this alarming fact that kicks off the book:  Alfredo is a news reporter for The Dallas Morning News and has been increasing his coverage of the Mexican drug cartels, and as a result, in 2007 a verifiable threat on his life has arisen.  From there the narrative takes off in several alarming directions:  Who exactly is making these threats? How can he successfully navigate all of the myriad personal relationships he has, with their attendant demands, on both sides of the border? How can he continue to report on the drug cartels in Mexico while trying to remain safe in the U.S.? This is a satisfying true life tale that is both exciting and meditative at alternating times.