An unconventional and fully illustrated, alphabetical account of an era in which border citizens in conflict zones used words, shortcuts, and stories to process relentless waves of violence...Working together, [Cardona and Briggs] created a moving melange of observations and illustrations of life and death on the border that make the experience of reading Abecedario something like visiting an important exhibit at an art museum...This is not a book to be read in a single sitting. It's at once a history book, a reference book, and an indictment of the militarization of the border by the Mexican government and of the government's continuing failure to end enduring violence...This book is often hard to read. And yet there's magic here too: In some ways, Cardona returns to life on these richly illustrated pages.– "Texas Observer" (4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM)