The Distance Between Us By Reyna Grande

Having a good relationship with family as a child is important for mental health cause without it some people go through mental abuse because of their relationship with their family. The Distance Between Us was made and published in 2012 by Reyna Grande. It is a memoir about her childhood in Mexico up until she moves to America or as it is called in the book "El Otro Lado" which means "The Other Side". Reyna's relationships with her family have grown and changed over the years from when she was left at Abuela Evila house till she could go to America. When her mother left, Reyna looked up to her father, hoping they would come back and take them to "El Otro Lado". When her mother returned, it was described that the events that happened in "El

From the start of the story, Reyna looked up to her mother, she was her role model. At that time, her father was only the man behind the glass. He left to go to America, leaving Reyna and her family in Mexico. So, when Mami left, Reyna’s role model turned into Mago and Carlos until she came back. When she did come back, they left Abuela Evila house and went to Abuelita Chita’s house. There, Reyna says that her mother never really came back. On page 6 it reads “truth be told, I never really got my mother back”. It is also said in the text that after she came back, she never looked at Reyna the same because she looked like her father and that was another reason for their mistreatment when she came back. Their father (Natalio) is described as man very stern man. He is stern and hard on Reyna and her siblings so that they can get a good education. Anything that angers him is met with a spanking by a belt or being yelled

Her grandmother on her father's side, Abuela Evila, is the grandmother they stayed with until their mother came back from the U.S. She was strict with them and gave Reyna and her siblings the bare minimum based on what their parents sent from America. Every time Abuela Evila name is mentioned, it is always related to a bad memory or as a threat. Reyna and her siblings are closer to Abuelita Chita then they are with Abuela Evila because of how Abuela treats them. Abuelita Chita is Reyna’s grandmother from her mother’s side. It is shown multiple times in the story that even though Abuela Evila has better living conditions, they would rather live in the slums with Abuelita Chita and have worms, lice, and be poor than live with Abuela Evila. They lived with Abuelita Chita after their mother came back from America with Betty and until their father came back from America. During that time, Abuelita Chita treated them differently and better than Abuela Evila ever did, strengthening the relationship they had with