Survive to Live by Jonathan Orozco is ultimately about the power of faith to help one out of difficult times. Orozco aims to use his story to inspire readers to follow God’s plan for them to live a full life.

There are many quotes that support this main theme about the power of faith. For example, consider how Orozco introduces his mother as a faithful woman. He describes the horrible, dangerous, and filthy environment of La Limonda but explains that his mother always believed that it “was a beautiful place under God’s watch” (Orozco, 4). His mother always had hope that one day, things would be much better, even when frequent events in their community suggested otherwise. Eventually, Orozco notes, “she proved to be right.” (4).

Here, we see that right from the beginning, Orozco is introducing this theme about the power of God. He hints that it was in part because of his mother’s faith that the family was able to have a better life. This theme continues throughout the rest of the book as well. For example, when Orozco almost sinks in the river, one of his friends pulls him out. Orozco describes this experience by saying that it was “as if God’s hand had arrived just in time” (49).

Another theme in this book is the power of love and community. For example, consider Orozco’s discussion about confronting discrimination. He writes that studying the Bible and becoming closer to God helped him love his enemies. He writes that “Jesus proved once and for all that love is stronger than hate!” (123). This quote could also be used to discuss the power of God, because Orozco is saying that it is through God that humans have the power to love, and love is liberating.