Jackie Griffey, Spanish Eyes

Spanish Eyes

Jackie Griffey

Five Stars, Sep 2007, $26.95

ISBN: 9781594146145

Legal immigrant Elena Castillo comes to Las Flores seeking her brother Carlos and their cousin Jorge Brazos, who legally cross the border to work on construction projects. The two men are out of town working at an isolated location. Las Flores College art teacher Oliver Avery notices Elena at the mall and suddenly believes in love at first site.

Carlos pregnant wife Carlotta and his teenage younger brother Juan illegally cross the border from Mexico because she wants her child born in America. They obtain work at the Santa Maria de Las Flores mission. His siblings and wife remain ignorant to the fact that Carlos and Jorge are in danger from an unscrupulous contractor who will cheat the immigrant work force and kill those who threaten their enterprise. Elena trusts Oliver with what she knows happened to Carlos and Jorge, but though attracted to him fears the connection his best friend Matt has with the sheriff when it comes to her younger brother and sister-in-law.

SPANISH EYES paints a different picture of legal and illegal immigrants than is typically discussed in Congress at least on the fence side of the issue. Instead of terrorists committing crimes and stealing jobs, the illegals are described as abused and used. Although the villains (American contractors) have no redeeming qualities as they behave more like Dickensian capitalists taking advantage of no legal recourse for illegals and to a degree legals, readers will appreciate this entertaining romantic suspense in which most crossing the border seek economic freedom in spite of allegedly NAFTA sent the jobs to Mexico.

Harriet Klausner