So Far

Growing up the fifth child in a Mexican-American family scarred by an abusive father and a mentally unstable mother, Cristina Negrón feels scared, worthless, powerless, and alone. All that begins to change when she discovers long-distance running. It connects her to the family of runners, until at last she considers herself “the most normal person on the planet.” That is, until one terrible day when the mental illness that destroyed her mother and sister targets her, too. Negrón’s memoir, So Far, is told in precise, often funny, beautifully wrought, and tender prose. The author balances the intensity of her collective traumas with moments of levity, and her spirit and good nature shines through consistently, even while she pulls back the curtain on the most painful moments of her life.