All They Will Call You

By: Tim Z. Hernandez

Narrated by: Tim Z. Hernandez

All They Will Call You is the harrowing account of "the worst airplane disaster in California's history", which claimed the lives of 32 passengers, including 28 Mexican citizens - farmworkers who were being deported by the US government. Outraged that media reports omitted only the names of the Mexican passengers, American folk icon Woody Guthrie penned a poem that went on to become one of the most important protest songs of the 20th century, "Plane Wreck at Los Gatos (Deportee)". It was an attempt to restore the dignity of the anonymous lives whose unidentified remains were buried in an unmarked mass grave in California's Central Valley. For nearly seven decades, the song's message would be carried on by the greatest artists of our time, including Pete Seeger, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez, yet the question posed in Guthrie's lyrics, "Who are these friends all scattered like dry leaves?" would remain unanswered - until now.

Combining years of painstaking investigative research and masterful storytelling, award-winning author Tim Z. Hernandez weaves a captivating narrative from testimony, historical records, and eyewitness accounts, reconstructing the incident and the lives behind the legendary song.

©2017 Tim Z. Hernandez (P)2021 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Captivating and Beautifully Told

This story was mesmerizing, heartbreaking, hopeful, and soul cleansing. The author's narration brings to vivid life the untold stories and unheard voices of a people that are the backbone of America, and who were almost forgotten. Bravo on such a beautiful and important piece of work. EVERYONE should read this book.

Tender & Impactful

This didn’t just teach me something—it moved me. The care in the storytelling, the rhythm of the language, the way it honors real people and memory… it’s beautiful. It’s one of those rare listens that stays with you long after it ends.

Deportees

amazing investigating to write this book. so much heartbreak but definitely a must for the book or audio library. I definitely recommend this book.