The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Cisneros, Ernesto. Efrén Divided. Quill Tree Books, 2020.

Ernesto Cisneros third person limited novel, Efrén Divided, follows Efrén Nava’s life as he navigates losing his mother and running for student president. At the outset of the narrative, Efrén lived with his parents and two younger siblings in a small studio apartment. While he loved his family, he craved solitude and retreated to the bathroom to read alone in the tub. At school, he was close friends with David and agreed to help his friend run a campaign for class president. While he supported David, he also felt connected to Jennifer, who was also running, and wanted to use the position to create change and community at school. When Efrén returned home, he was disquieted when Amá was not there. He searched the neighborhood for his mother before finding a note saying that the twins were at the neighbor’s house. Doña Chana explained that Amá was arrested by ICE and deported. Efrén was unsure what to do and felt afraid. Apá promised him that they would get Amá back and asked Efrén to help with the twins in the meantime. Efrén took on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings. He ensured that they were fed, went to school on time, and had time at the playground. However, as he ensured Max and Mía’s needs were met, he struggled to take care of himself. At school, he was afraid to explain why he missed his homework and accepted the punishment for being late on his work instead of offering an explanation. He did not tell David about his home situation because he feared that David would pity him.

As the narrative progresses, Efrén continued to struggle to balance his responsibilities at school and home. However, when Mr. Garrett noticed that Efrén was falling behind, he told Efrén that he knew what it felt like to have your life turned upside down. The teacher taught a lesson on using community to fight persecution and Efrén began to feel that Jennifer was the best candidate for student body president. However, shortly after, Jennifer was not at school. Her mother was arrested for being undocumented and Jennifer refused to leave her side. While Efrén wanted to reconcile with David, he also felt that he needed to run for student president in Jennifer’s stead. David felt betrayed by his friend, and they stopped talking. At home, Apá confided to Efrén that he was planning to bring money to Amá for her trip across the border. Efrén insisted that Apá let him help. He knew that Apá would be in danger of being arrested if he went closer to the border and did not want to risk losing another parent.

When Apá and Efrén drove toward Mexico, Apá went over the plan with Efrén again. While the protagonist was nervous, he also knew that he needed to overcome his fears in order to help his mother. In Tijuana, a taxi driver helped him navigate to the Taco Loco and explained that he knew what it was like to be separated from your family. He lived in the United States for years but was forced to watch his daughter grow up from afar after he was deported. Efrén was delighted to see his mother again and they spent time talking before Efrén headed back to meet Apá. He was unsure why Amá hugged him as if they would not see each other for a long time. On the day Amá was supposed to return, the neighbors brought food to the house and waited with the Nava family. However, time continued to pass with no word from Amá. Later in the day, she called to tell her family that the plan had gone poorly, and she would not be returning. Apá promised his children that they would continue fighting to bring Amá home. At school, David, Jennifer and Han support Efrén’s plan to run for student president. The friends decide to work together to bring change to the community and start a support group for families.