The Book

Author Mike J. Quinn’s debut novel, THE DISHWASHER’S SON, follows the odyssey of a teenage American Minuteman volunteer, whose accidental deportation to Mexico takes a dramatic turn when he finds an uncle, and together they discover the truth about his father’s disappearance.
After meeting his father’s family and coming to grips with the Mexican heritage he has spent his whole life denying, he makes his way to the border to get back home. With no ID except for his recent record for being deported as an undocumented immigrant, he is denied entry to the US. After several attempts to talk his way through, he resorts to sneaking across the border using all of the various different methods he has been learning to defend against as an Arizona border guard volunteer. With each attempted border crossing and subsequent apprehension, the charges against him increase, culminating in a desperate decision: cross the brutal Arizona desert and face possible death or prison. Or he could always live life as an illegal alien in Mexico.

Will he make it home alive?
Caught between the two cultures of living an angry and hateful American life, and his true Mexican roots.

Inspired by the author’s real-life challenges to get citizenship for his immigrant wife and daughter, and his 25 years of managing immigrant employees.

Check out the Story page for more information on the book.