For the past 15 years at the end of each year I have written columns for the Cox Ohio newspapers which list my favorite books from the preceding year. By December I usually have a very good notion of which books will make the final cut. This past December I was reading an advance copy of "The Border" by Don Winslow and I was loving that book so much that when I finished reading it I thought that this incredible final book in the author's trilogy about Mexican drug cartels is probably going to be my favorite work of fiction from 2019.
Of course there are still hundreds of books to read throughout the rest of the year. We'll see. At this moment it reigns supreme in my view. Winslow's timing for the release of the novel early this year could not have been more timely. What is the hottest issue in America today? Did you answer our southern border? We have a president who is determined to build a wall along that border. He's been willing to declare a national state of emergency in an effort to have his way on this issue. Some members of his own political party are finally showing some reluctance to go along with this president's demands. As this controversy smolders we have a humanitarian crisis taking place along the border.
Don Winslow's books are works of fiction. Even so, if you read this trilogy I'm sure you'll come away with more nuanced views of the situation between Mexico and the United States. Winslow's opinions about Donald Trump's wall are becoming well known. Read these books. The storytelling is magnificent.
The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, Wright Memorial Public Library, and Microsun Lamps.
