Task #5: Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative

[Teresa]

FYI, An African in Greenland fits the Travel Memoir category much better than this category, so that's where I slotted it. Still an interesting read.

[Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer]

I was wondering if Orphan Train work for this category? It's been on my tbr list and this might finally push it to the top!

[Miranda]

Would Min Jin Lee's novel Free Food for Millionaires work for this task?

[Bonnie G.]

Miranda wrote: "Would Min Jin Lee's novel Free Food for Millionaires work for this task?"

Oh I hope so! Its been on my TBR forever! I was going to read In the Time of the Butterflies but Free Food for Millionaires has been in the pike a lot longer.

[Stina]

It's been awhile since I read Orphan Train, but I think it would work for this prompt.

[Elizabeth]

Would anyone else consider The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984: A Graphic Memoir as one that would count for this task? It is a graphic memoir (first in a series) that details the first six years of the author's life, in which his family moves between France, Libya, and Syria. I am about a quarter of the way through it already, so I plan on reading it regardless, but I thought it seemed like a good one for this task.

[Laura]

Elizabeth wrote: "Would anyone else consider The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984: A Graphic Memoir as one that would count for this task? It is a graphic memoir (first i..."

That certainly would count. It's a wonderful book too.

[Jeremy]

I was thinking about reading We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. Would that work for this challenge?

[Zara]

Jeremy wrote: "I was thinking about reading We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo. Would that work for this challenge?"

Yes, I would say so!

[Zara]

I have a book of poetry I want to read - the author was born in Vietnam and now lives in NYC. Is this "enough"?

[Diane]

Stina wrote: "It's been awhile since I read Orphan Train, but I think it would work for this prompt."
My local book club read this last year. There is little to no connection to immigrants or immigration, so I don't think it fits the prompt. The story is a fiction account of New York City sending orphans on a train west to be adopted by families in the Midwest. I live in Minnesota and there was a recent local play dramatizing the stops here and families selecting kids off the train. There were several descendants of the Orphan Train adoptees in the audience.

[Stina]

Diane wrote: "Stina wrote: "It's been awhile since I read Orphan Train, but I think it would work for this prompt."
My local book club read this last year. There is little to no connection to immigrants or immig..."

But Vivian was definitely an Irish immigrant, and many of the other children were immigrants or from immigrant families. When my book club read it, we had a lot of discussion about how they were treated because they were immigrants as well as orphans and how this theme informed Molly's story of being considered "other."

ETA: The author is from England and has now settled in the US, so she is very likely an immigrant.

[Henriette]

I accidentally stumpled upon my choice at the library. Alle udlændinge har lukkede gardiner
It is a YA-book by a writer who is part Norwegian, part Chilean, born and raised in Romsås in Oslo, Norway, a part of the city which is almost entirely inhabitated by immigrants. The novel is seen from the pov of a teenagegirl living in Romsås and is written in the slang that rises from the area.
So - YA, immigrant author and immigrant narrative AND from the POV of a teenage immigrant girl.

[Renee]

I read In Order to Live by Yeon-mi Park. It is about her life in North Korea, escape from N Korea and about being an immigrant in South Korea.

[Maya]

I just finished Giants in the Earth which I think fits this great, about Norwegian immigrants who were pioneers heading west across America - a great story about the realities and hardships of pioneer life which has always intrigued me, and extra interesting for me as part of my own heritage.

I may take this challenge to finally read Homegoing (if it counts)

[Elizabeth]

As I stated I would earlier in the thread, I have finished The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984: A Graphic Memoir for this task. I would definitely recommend it. It focuses on the first six years of Sattouf's life, and he moves between France, Syria, and Libya.

[Kelsea Gusk]

The Joy Luck Club ?

[Lianne]

I read Ru by Kim Thúy last year as my book from an author from South-East Asia, and enjoyed it. So for this category this year, I'll grab her next novel, Man. Actually, it's already sitting on my Kobo, waiting for me to get to it.

[Pamela]

I read Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. I know a lot of people loved this book but I found it incredibly depressing!

[Sarah]

I read The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon for this task. Quick and enjoyable--recommended for those in need of a good YA read!

[G-phy]

Looking forward to reading The Leavers by Lisa Ko for this.

Well, either for this or debut novel. It depends on wether I come across something that will fit either challenge in my TBR pile before May.

[Elizabeth]

The Year of the Runaways is a stunning book that fits this challenge well

[Elyse]

Would The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao work for this? There's a lot of history and his mother immigrated from DR. It's not the central theme but it's there.

[Kirsten]

Is it written by an immigrant?

[Bonnie G.]

Elyse wrote: "Would The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao work for this? There's a lot of history and his mother immigrated from DR. It's not the central theme but it's there."

Oscar Wao would definitely work for the immigration narrative. Diaz as born in the DR. Also worth noting, It is one of my favorite books ever. Love it or hate it it is like no other book you have ever read.

[Elyse]

Bonnie wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Would The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao work for this? There's a lot of history and his mother immigrated from DR. It's not the central theme but it's there."

Oscar ..."

Oh I was focusing on the immigration story but yes, I see that the author can be an immigrant as well. Good! I just finished the audiobook narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. :) It was good! But it was tough.

[Elyse]

Monica wrote: "Books I own that would work: Breath, Eyes, Memory and My Ántonia

Other books I want to read that qualify: The Book of Unknown Americans, [book:Middlesex|21..."

I love My Antonia!

[Bonnie G.]

Elyse wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Would The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao work for this? There's a lot of history and his mother immigrated from DR. It's not the central theme but it's ..."

Wow, there are so many footnotes, it is hard to imagine it as an audiobook. Glad it worked. I just read another audiobook Lin-Manuel Miranda read ("Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe") and his narration was fantastic.

[Elyse]

Bonnie wrote: "Wow, there are so many footnotes, it is hard to imagine it as an audiobook. Glad it worked. I just read another audiobook Lin-Manuel Miranda read ("Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe") and his narration was fantastic..."

I *love* Dante and Aristotle! I listened to the audiobook a few years ago. Lin-Manuel Miranda is a fabulous narrator.

[Jack]

Put this in the poetry in translation thread too, but does anyone have a rec for a poetry collection with a immigration narrative?

[Jennifer]

I read In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero. It is a memoir about growing up the child of undocumented immigrants, including living without her parents after they have been deported. A large part of the book also deals with how the events of the author's childhood affected her adult life and mental health. It is an important story to tell, and I am glad she got to tell it herself.

[Lianne]

Katie wrote: "Cheri wrote: "I've been wanting to read this one for awhile:
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by [author..."

This is such an excellent book! I love it.

[ns510]

Picked In the Country We Love: My Family Divided for this one. So far, so good! Listening to Diane Guerrero narrating it adds so much.

[[deleted user]]

I just finished Imbolo Mbue's Behold the Dreamers for this one and I really enjoyed it. Its story & themes were very engrossing and thought provoking & I really enjoyed the characters as well. I'm going to be thinking about what this tale had to tell for a while.

[Ava]

I just finished In the Country We Love: My Family Divided for this task, and definitely think it fits. The book focuses on Diane's experience growing up as the citizen child of undocumented immigrants, and her struggles after they are deported when she's 14 years old. The writing isn't the most sophisticated but the story is engrossing and at times heart-wrenching.

[Stina]

I'm reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine.

[Rebecca]

Ava wrote: "I just finished In the Country We Love: My Family Divided for this task, and definitely think it fits. The book focuses on Diane's experience growing up as the citizen child of undo..."
I plan to read this one too. Glad to hear it's engaging!

[Elyse]

Oh snap, maybe I'll do Born a Crime, which also fits several tasks. Save Oscar Wao for another one.

[David]

One of my current reads is https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2....

The first few pages provide an interesting parallel to my own family heritage. The Irish hero arrives in America in 1867, along with several other anti-slavery activists who were expelled from Ireland. They proceeded to settle Montana. Our first Norwegian and Swedish ancestors arrived in New York and Boston in 1867, following twenty years of socialist enforcement of land reforms in which many families were expelled from their farms. They settled Wisconsin.

[Kirsten]

A good one for this is the one I'm reading right now: The Sun Is Also a Star

One character is an undocumented immigrant from Jamaica whose family is going to be deported.

Another character is the child of Korean immigrants.

[Ramona]

I just finished "Adnan's Story" by Rabia Chaudry and I'm going to count it for this task.

[Anna]

The New York Times has just published this list of books by refugees.

[Arlene]

The Good Immigrant is currently reduced to £ 2.99 on Kindle in the UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01A...

[Book Riot]

We made another list that might help you out!

http://bookriot.com/2017/01/31/read-h...

[Viv]

Lithub has a list of 15 works of contemporary literature by and about refugees for even more ideas: http://lithub.com/15-works-of-contemporary-literature-by-and-about-refugees/

[Anamika]

half cheating on this one because I already have to read Esperanza Rising to teach in my 6th grade English class. still an excellent book!

[Jericho]

Kelsea Gusk wrote: "The Joy Luck Club ?" This is what I'm almost finished so I'm assuming it counts!

[Laura]

Brooklyn wrote: "I think I'm gonna go with Brooklyn. I've had it on my TBR for a while now."

Just bought it and was hoping it would fit somewhere into this challenge! :)

[Sami]

I strongly recommend The Prophet by Lebanese Author Gebran Khalil Gebran for this task. It is one of my favorite books, it's short but full of beautifully written life lessons. Contrary to what a lot of people might think, the book has nothing to do with Religion.

[Teresa]

I'm frustrated. I found 3 great possibilities for this category and none are available to me. I have to put this one off til later in the year and hope one of my libraries buys one of the books. I'm also amused with myself because I have 50-some other books to read for challenges.