Major Characters from La Linea
Miguel - A 15 year old boy. He lives in San Jacinto, in modern day Mexico. On his 15th birthday, he receives a letter from his father telling him it is finally time to cross the border to get to California. Together with his sister, Elena, Miguel makes the dangerous journey to cross la linea.
Elena - A 13 year old girl. She lives in San Jacinto with her brother, Miguel and her Abuelita. She misses her mamà and reads her letters every night. When Miguel leaves for the border, she follows him, forcing Miguel to take her along.
Javier (Javi) - A older man also trying to cross the border. He is trying to make his way to New York in order to provide for his children. Javi has tried to cross la linea two times before, but has failed. He helps Elena and Miguel escape Captain Morales by faking a seizure and forms a tight bond with Miguel and Elena.
Minor Characters from La Linea
Abuelita - Miguel and Elena's grandmother. She takes care of Miguel and Elena when their parents move to California
On Miguel's birthday she gives him a present every year, even though they don't have the money to afford it.
At the end of the book, Miguel reveals that she died one year after his departure from San Jacinto.
On Miguel's birthday she gives him a present every year, even though they don't have the money to afford it.
At the end of the book, Miguel reveals that she died one year after his departure from San Jacinto.
Chuy and Lalo - Miguel's best friends in San Jacinto. Miguel is talented at making wooden carvings of fantastical animals, while Lalo aspires to be a professional soccer player. The night before Miguel's departure, the three make a pact to reunite in ten years. Chuy eventually marries Elena.
Don Clemente - The wealthiest man in San Jacinto, known to make his fortune through illegal trade and helping immigrants cross the border. He gives Miguel money to pay for a coyote as a form of repayment for the debt of being saved from a fire, that claimed the lives of his wife and daughter, by Miguel's father. He is murder by his nephew, Juanito, before Miguel reaches the border.
Juanito - A boy who lives in San Jacinto and the nephew of Don Clemente. Miguel dislike him because he has used his uncle's money and influence to get his way in life. He loans Elena money to cross the border. Sneaky, cunning, and power hungry, he kills Don Clemente to steal his business and fortune.
Capitan Morales - A corrupt federal officer who abuses his authority by taking bribes from people headed for the border. He complicates Miguel and Elena's journey by attempting to deport them across Mexico's southern border with Guatemala. His plan is foiled when Javi fakes a seizure, giving Miguel and Elena a chance to escape.
Moises (El Plomero) - A coyote contracted by Don Clemente who helps Miguel, Elena and Javi cross the border as a final respect to Don Clemente. Though he gets the three across the border, he is shot and captured in the desert by border militiamen.