This is a powerful, first-hand account of a religious ministry that reaches out to console, heal, and build the lives of poor and desperate immigrants who come to the United States in search of a better life. Daniel G. Groody talked with immigration officials, 'coyote' smugglers, and immigrants in detention centers and those working in the fields. The picture that emerges starkly contrasts with the negative stereotypes about Mexican immigrants: Groody discovered insights into God, family, values, suffering, faith, and hope that offer a treasury of spiritual knowledge helpful to anyone, even those who are materially comfortable but spiritually empty. This book has a message that reaches across borders, divisions, and preconceptions; it reaches all the way to the heart.

"Groody argues that spiritual as well as physical cures are needed for people who risk death in an inhospitable desert, who undergo the psychological death of leaving their families and culture and who experience alienation in a society often rejecting them in a language they do not understand." - The Catholic Telegraph

"It is a remarkable study that requires follow-up by other scholars of spirituality, practical theology, community development, and social ethics." - America: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture

"Describes the Mexican immigrants' life in detail, gives a moving account of their religious devotion, especially at a four-day retreat, and shows the profound influence on their culture of devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe." - Theory Digest

"This thoughtful and moving book, written with both scholarly care and pastoral commitment, documents the suffering, hope and spirituality of poor Mexican immigrants in the United States. Groody's direct experience of the reality he describes, and his academic gifts, lend a rare authority to his writing." - The Way

"Border of Death, Valley of Life represents a pioneering work of the spiritual lives of Mexican immigrants. Groody's book is clearly written, and photographs documenting the border crossing, religious shrines, and retreat activities provide a visual perspective on the topic." - Western Historical Quarterly

"Groody is to be commended for lifting up the evangelizing witness of a people that have all too often been designated as needing only to be evangelized." - The Journal Of Religion