Quote by Valeria Luiselli: “Children don't cross deserts and oceans just for fun. They do it because they have to.”

When people flee dangerous or desperate situations, it's tempting to question their choices. This quote strips away that doubt — no child makes an extraordinary, dangerous journey without being pushed. It asks us to confront the severity of what people are escaping rather than questioning whether they 'deserve' refuge.

Luiselli published Tell Me How It Ends in 2017, during a period of fierce US political debate about immigration and the treatment of children at the border. Her work drew on her direct experience volunteering as a translator for undocumented child migrants in immigration courts.

Mexican author and essayist whose work includes the novel-essay Tell Me How It Ends, about the experiences of child migrants at the US border. She has been shortlisted for the Booker International Prize and is a leading voice in contemporary Latin American literature.