Overview

This true story from the US-Mexico border cuts through polarized debates on immigration with the inspiring example of one community's commitment to radical hospitality. Annunciation House is a small, volunteer-run nonprofit in the border city of El Paso, Texas. Over the last half-century it has welcomed over half a million migrants and refugees, from Central Americans fleeing death squads in the 1980's to migrant families separated at the border in 2018. In this powerful narrative history, author and volunteer Mary Fontana chronicles the story of Annunciation House through the voices of the guests and volunteers who have passed through its doors. Through their individual journeys, she also illustrates the complex forces that drive migration across the Americas. This richly drawn, deeply human narrative from the front lines of migration will challenge readers to explore the borders in their own lives and hearts.

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9781626986558

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Reviews

*Advance Praise and Reviews* ""An incredibly uplifting story of how one community's relentless hospitality and grace reveal the way to repair the deep damage we have done to the people of the Americas, to the border and to our spirit. These are the kind of heroes we need in America today. A must-read."" --Beto O'Rourke, former congressman and author, We've Got to Try ""Recounts a reservoir of community, ingenuity and commitment. . . . JUST WHAT WE NEED in this moment."" --Simone Campbell, SSS, author, A Nun on the Bus An important, necessary, and heartbreaking book.--Benjamin Alire Sáenz, author of Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club ""Annunciation House is well-known to anyone working in immigration for the care and attention they give to migrants. In the same way, this book attends to the story of Annunciation House and the people who made it the beacon of hope it is today."" --Alejandra Oliva, author of Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration ""Annunciation House is a rare beacon of hope in an increasingly dysfunctional immigration system. Mary Fontana provides the first detailed history of Annunciation House, documenting how volunteers motivated by faith provided ""radical hospitality"" to hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing poverty and persecution.""--Robert Moore, El Paso journalist

Author Information

Mary Fontana is a Best of the Net-nominated writer and researcher who has worked with migrant hospitality efforts at the US-Mexico border for over twenty years. Her writing has appeared in America, The Sun, BorderLore, Consequence, Immunity, The Kenyon Review, and elsewhere. She was a finalist for the 2025 Richard J. Margolis Award for social justice journalism. Read more at maryfontana.com.

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