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gigigonz's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
An insightful book highlighting the nuances of an immigrant family and the tribulations that come with settling in the US. Samaha weaves his family’s narrative alongside historical passages in way that keeps the reader aware of the cultural and sociopolitical importance of a heavily colonized nation. I recommend this book to children of immigrants who have always questioned “what if my family never left?”.
pddkny's review against another edition
5.0
One part family drama, one part historical narrative, and one part social commentary, this book made me jump out of my seat metaphorically (most of the time) and literally (a couple of times). Samaha is a journalist who came up in the internet age of media so if you're used to reading those longform, narrative journalism, personal essay hybrids that everyone seems fond of nowadays, then you'll be in for a treat. His storytelling style is excellent (watch a couple of videos where he narrates a story and maybe you'll start hearing his voice while reading the book) and he has wonderful respect for his ancestors. I dare you to read this book without being compelled to wonder about all the untold stories in your own family.
fionak's review against another edition
3.0
The writing is good and I liked the interaction of family memoir with political world history but ultimately it was far too long and I skimmed over huge sections of this almost-400 page tome.
lifeinpoetry's review against another edition
4.0
Related so much to the frustration of being the kid of immigrants watching one of your parents wholeheartedly get sucked into the world of Trump worship and conspiracy theories.
ashem77's review against another edition
4.0
Such a well-written, vulnerable memoir; it’s circular in a way that he introduces content and returns to it at the end. I really enjoyed the way the author weaved his family’s history with that of the Philippines. I learned so much about Spanish colonialism of the region and how that affects the Philippines today. Also, I appreciated Samaha’s reflections on nuances of racism and how that has manifested for him and his family. Highly recommend the audiobook for this one!
vivandbooks's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
4.0
Well researched and a great first half but then I felt like it sort of lost the plot. The last few chapters dragged and it could’ve been at least 50-100 pages shorter for a tighter narrative. I appreciate what the author set out to do. I’m half Filipino as well so this really resonated with me.
lauraine's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0