39. A book involving an immigrant

[Marie (UK)]

1. What are you reading for this category?

The One-in-a-Million Boy

2. Is the immigrant story a perspective you typically read about?

No

3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?

i enjoyed this as it was an Unravelling of Ona's life since her immigation to the US many years before

[Joanne]

I read Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai which is based on the author's own story of leaving Vietnam to go to the United States during the Vietnam war. It really showed how frustrating it would be to not be able to easily communicate with the people around you because you don't speak the same language as them.

[Stacey]

It took me a while to get around to reading this brilliant novel, but I'm so glad I finally did. John Boyne's The Heart's Invisible Furies is not your typical immigrant story, as it touches on so many controversial themes simultaneously. Actually, I'd place the immigrant experience secondary to such core themes as homosexuality, the Catholic church in Ireland, sex and gender roles.

Some recommendations: American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures, My Ántonia, Exit West, Cutting for Stone, Americanah, The Joy Luck Club and Button Man.

[Brittany]

. What are you reading for this category?
Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream
2. Is the immigrant story a perspective you typically read about?
not usually, no
3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
If you've read The Kiss Quotient but haven't read the second book The Bride Test I would definitely suggest it for a lighter read.

I also loved Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath. It focuses on 3 children escaping the Armenian genocide and attempting to get to their uncle in America. While the book is mostly travel related I feel like it still fits the bill here.

[Dana]

1. What are you reading for this category?
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

2. Is the immigrant story a perspective you typically read about?
Not really, haven't read many immigrant books, but I want to read more.

[Dubhease]

1. What are you reading for this category? I read Dracula

I feel like I should apologize to whoever made up this prompt. No doubt we were supposed to read about the hardships of immigrants and become more sensitized, and not read about foreigners who come to new countries to kill people. However, I didn't preplan this year and now I'm stuck matching books to prompts.

3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category? I loved The Illegal by Lawrence Hill.

[TattyJC]

Several books on my overall ATY 2021 list could conceivably have counted for this category: Shadowplay, The See-Through House: My Father in Full Colour, Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, Clap When You Land, Why the Dutch are Different: A Journey into the Hidden Heart of the Netherlands. But I've opted for Mr Wilder & Me, as both Mr Wilder and Calista (the Me of the title) end-up as immigrants.

[Marie]

I read Brick Lane by Monica Ali.

Looking through my Read list, I don't remember many being "immigrant stories", though they may well have some characters who are from countries other than those where the story takes place, my memory isn't what it used to be!

I'd recommend The Art of Disruption, mostly because it's written by the former Mayor of my home city, who was a refugee from Somalia as a child and talks about that (among other things) in the book. Apart from that, I'd also suggest Extra Virgin, And the Mountains Echoed and Little Bee.

[Tabitha]

Given I'm having some issues getting ahold of books lately and it is nearing the end of the year, I'm going with In the Country We Love by Diane Guerrero, which I think counts, as I have the audiobook.

[Andrea]

I read Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo for this prompt. Otto introduces a monk, Volya Rinpoche, to the American experience as they journey across America.

[Hannah]

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read Miracle Creek by Angie Kim.

2. Is the immigrant story a perspective you typically read about?
I'd say I more frequently read books about people from other countries where the books are set in those countries, because I seek them out for my reading around the world challenge. However, I enjoy stories about cultural clashes and inter-cultural communication a lot, so stories about immigrants tend to be appealing to me. I enjoyed the focus on the Yoos and especially about how the realities of immigrating affected their family dynamics - I feel like I have read many books about how coming to an unfamiliar country is a personal struggle, but not as many about how it can be a family struggle.

3. What book would you recommend to others to read for this category?
I really enjoyed The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, which gives several different perspectives on what immigrant life can be like. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie is a great one if you're curious about a non-American, non-British immigrant experience, as the central family immigrate to Pakistan from India shortly after its creation. Another one like that is The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, which is set in Malaysia and populated by a bunch of immigrant characters, mostly from Japan and South Africa.