With American Tumbleweeds, Marta Elva pulls us into the minds of a half-dozen members of a border family in crisis, dramatizing the state of living ni aqui, ni alla—neither here nor there geographically and emotionally. A moving first novel. — John Sayles, film director, author, and MacArthur fellow

The aptly named American Tumbleweeds depicts the balancing act some bi-cultural families must undertake to live in America. The characters indeed “tumble” back and forth over our southernmost border, forced to live in two worlds at once. This is an experience all Americans should know about. — Sonia Manzano, author of Becoming Maria: Love and Chaos in the South Bronx

Marta Elva’s debut novel, American Tumbleweeds, provides an engaging look at the human cost of the turbulent 1960s along the Mexican-American border. Deftly conveyed through the eyes of an innocent and vulnerable fourteen-year-old girl and her family, this well-written saga could just as easily reflect contemporary times. It is insightful, timely, and rich with meaning.— Pam Webber, author of The Wiregrass

Marta Elva has written a coming-of-age novel that perfectly captures the feel, fear, fun, and uncertainty of the late 1960s. I was hooked on this delightful story from the very first page. And the characters stayed with me long after the final word.

— Melanie Payne, The News-Press, Fort Myers, Florida

American Tumbleweeds is an engrossing, enlightening portrayal of life along the Mexican-American border in the late 1960s. Marta Elva’s sensitive insights draw a straight line to family and societal issues in today’s headlines.— Annamaria Alfieri, author of Strange Gods

American Tumbleweeds is both a moving coming-of-age story and a compelling tale of border intrigue that goes back in time to give a human face to some of the most divisive and hotly debated issues facing contemporary America. Marta Elva shows an uncanny knack for dialogue and plot as in each chapter she moves back and forth among her characters, unrolling the narrative through each individual’s unique point of view.— Michael Winship, senior writer, Moyers & Company, PBS