* Nonfiction. By Stephanie Elizondo Griest. Washington Square Press, $14. Grade: B

Book in a nutshell: Author Griest won a 2007 Social Justice Reporting award, partly as a result of traveling to Russia, China and Cuba, where she rubbed shoulders with both legit and illegit folks, reporting on both daily life and the injustices she found. For this book, the American Latina decided to explore her roots south of the border in Mexico, our troubled and exotic neighbor.

Mexican Enough is a warm mix of memoir and journalism as the author finds herself traveling from Mexico City to destinations north and south. It's a sheep dip into Latin culture, a boisterous encounter with genuine people and their everyday concerns.

Highlights of the tour include the province of Chiapas, ruled by the ski-masked rebel Subcomandante Marcos; the narco-infested U.S./Mexican border, and La Joteria, the "Queer Palace" in Queretaro where Griest rooms with fabulously styled gay men whose clandestine network confounds Latin notions of machismo.

Best tidbit: One of the most painful stories in the book concerns Octavio Acuna, a gay activist found murdered after many incidents of police and community harassment, a disturbingly regular occurrence in Mexico. His lover, Martin, recounts Acuna's dedication to a "Diversity Week" in college, AIDS prevention and safe-sex workshops.

Pros: Griest's exuberant prose captures both the life-embracing passion of Mexican culture - parties, tequila and stormy relationships - and the Third World uncertainty of a nation divided by dirty-tricks politics and governmental subversion of democratic principles.

Cons: While the author attempts to elucidate the immigration debate that naturally arises when dealing with Mexico, her bias in favor of transnational personas clashes with an American nation grappling with dozens of identity-based political groups that might promote division.

Final word: At the end, a vigorous naivete is evident in the text; Griest appears to be a typical young person on a traveler's joy ride made possible by the leisure and money provided by Mexico's neighbor to the north. While the author's journey is rich and boisterous, it's occasionally jarring when juxtaposed with her subject matter - people who don't enjoy the same freedom of movement and Norte Americano riches.