Scan barcode
barbaraskalberg's review against another edition
4.0
I wish more parents/children at the border had access to the kind of help she was able to get. I love the way her faith is such an important piece of her story.
emzee_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Please please please read (or listen to) this book - every story of immigration and migration I hear breaks my heart for every single human just trying to find a better like for themselves and their family by crossing borders. Rosy’s story was absolutely heart breaking yet hopeful and everyone needs to take time to understand the real stories of these wonderful people beyond just stereotypes and headlines
mandimsadler's review against another edition
4.0
I tore through this book, especially Rosy's story. I was actually a bit sad that the book was split between the two authors, because I cared so much more about Rosy's story! Regardless, this was such a thought provoking book. I was hoping it would help me think differently about the crisis on our border, and it 100% did.
sbojo32's review against another edition
3.0
The content of this story and the message would get this book five stars, hands down.
I read American Dirt and wanted to read an #OwnVoices book that was similar. The Book of Rosy was recommended and I'm glad it was. The story begins with Rosy telling about her life in Guatemala and I have to say, this was a little disjointed and confusing. She starts by talking about how she is in prison and when she gets out, she is trying to be reunited with her two boys. Then we switch back to life in Guatemala where she has a son and a daughter. There are stories told from her life in Guatemala that seem disconnected with the story. I wonder if there was a lot more told and edited out, which left a narrative that doesn't flow well. The story seems to be missing a lot of pieces where I wanted more information.
Then the book switches to Part 2, which is Julie's story. Julie led the grass-roots movement to help mothers who were separated from their children at the border. While I do think her work is important, I didn't love her section in the middle of this book. It kind of took away from Rosy's story without providing any additional information. I wanted more information about asylum and why Rosy waited so long to apply for asylum, meaning she stayed in the country, living for free in a house (then apartment) many of us could not afford, while she didn't work. I'm sure there was a reason, but I don't know immigration laws and the book didn't explain, other than she lived in this three-story house in Park Slope for free and was given food, toys and clothes.
I understand that the situation in Guatemala was terrible, but I honestly didn't understand a lot of Rosy's decisions. She had left the country once and successfully got to America with her son. Instead of going through the asylum process then (which, why didn't she?), she left the country to go back to Guatemala. She took her youngest son, again leaving her two daughters behind, and tried to get into America again. While she was in prison, her only thoughts were of her sons, not the two daughters that she abandoned!
I guess I just wanted more detail about the process. Rosy's story wasn't particularly well-written (there were grammar errors, which are likely the result of translation issues) and I just didn't understand why she didn't do certain things (why not make more of an attempt to learn English once she got to New York? did she get a job?). I also think this is an abnormal situation and story, and most immigrants are not handed the things she was. I praise Julie for her work to get Rosy and others like her food and shelter, but there are likely plenty of others who can get into the country, even be reunited with their children and yet don't have the life Rosy had. I think I'd want this book (especially Julie's section) to acknowledge this.
I would recommend the book, as I think it is an important read and provides an #OwnVoices account of immigration struggles.
I read American Dirt and wanted to read an #OwnVoices book that was similar. The Book of Rosy was recommended and I'm glad it was. The story begins with Rosy telling about her life in Guatemala and I have to say, this was a little disjointed and confusing. She starts by talking about how she is in prison and when she gets out, she is trying to be reunited with her two boys. Then we switch back to life in Guatemala where she has a son and a daughter. There are stories told from her life in Guatemala that seem disconnected with the story. I wonder if there was a lot more told and edited out, which left a narrative that doesn't flow well. The story seems to be missing a lot of pieces where I wanted more information.
Then the book switches to Part 2, which is Julie's story. Julie led the grass-roots movement to help mothers who were separated from their children at the border. While I do think her work is important, I didn't love her section in the middle of this book. It kind of took away from Rosy's story without providing any additional information. I wanted more information about asylum and why Rosy waited so long to apply for asylum, meaning she stayed in the country, living for free in a house (then apartment) many of us could not afford, while she didn't work. I'm sure there was a reason, but I don't know immigration laws and the book didn't explain, other than she lived in this three-story house in Park Slope for free and was given food, toys and clothes.
I understand that the situation in Guatemala was terrible, but I honestly didn't understand a lot of Rosy's decisions. She had left the country once and successfully got to America with her son. Instead of going through the asylum process then (which, why didn't she?), she left the country to go back to Guatemala. She took her youngest son, again leaving her two daughters behind, and tried to get into America again. While she was in prison, her only thoughts were of her sons, not the two daughters that she abandoned!
I guess I just wanted more detail about the process. Rosy's story wasn't particularly well-written (there were grammar errors, which are likely the result of translation issues) and I just didn't understand why she didn't do certain things (why not make more of an attempt to learn English once she got to New York? did she get a job?). I also think this is an abnormal situation and story, and most immigrants are not handed the things she was. I praise Julie for her work to get Rosy and others like her food and shelter, but there are likely plenty of others who can get into the country, even be reunited with their children and yet don't have the life Rosy had. I think I'd want this book (especially Julie's section) to acknowledge this.
I would recommend the book, as I think it is an important read and provides an #OwnVoices account of immigration struggles.
lisettemarie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Kidnapping, Deportation, and Xenophobia
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
(free review copy via Net Galley) ADD TO YOUR TBR! I normally don’t read ARCs this far in advance, but felt that this June 2020 release deserved my immediate attention. I read it in its entirety over the past 24 hours and it was well worth my time in bumping it up my TBR.
Keep your eye out for it in June ~ especially those of you I’ve heard lately begging for a large publisher to hype an #ownvoices story about immigration to the US - so proud of Harper One for snagging this deal!
Remember that pre-orders massively help demonstrate what readers care about and that requesting that your library purchase a book counts as a pre-order. Also just marking a book as to-read here helps boost it.
As for a full review, I don’t really feel equipped to critically review a story such as this. A story of a woman’s trauma, and the story of the woman who helped her is really just what it is. Can you like or dislike such a thing??? My only criticism is that I wish it were longer.... it felt like we just got the tip of the iceberg here. Also, this is only one story of one woman whose journey had a miraculous turn when she got essentially rescued by IFT. Remember that her story doesn’t represent all who travel to the US from Central America, but her reasons for fleeing are shared by so many. Rosy’s words are in English via translation but I’m excited to hear that this book is being published simultaneously in English and Spanish. I’m excited to read more thoughts about this book when it’s been more widely reviewed.
Keep your eye out for it in June ~ especially those of you I’ve heard lately begging for a large publisher to hype an #ownvoices story about immigration to the US - so proud of Harper One for snagging this deal!
Remember that pre-orders massively help demonstrate what readers care about and that requesting that your library purchase a book counts as a pre-order. Also just marking a book as to-read here helps boost it.
As for a full review, I don’t really feel equipped to critically review a story such as this. A story of a woman’s trauma, and the story of the woman who helped her is really just what it is. Can you like or dislike such a thing??? My only criticism is that I wish it were longer.... it felt like we just got the tip of the iceberg here. Also, this is only one story of one woman whose journey had a miraculous turn when she got essentially rescued by IFT. Remember that her story doesn’t represent all who travel to the US from Central America, but her reasons for fleeing are shared by so many. Rosy’s words are in English via translation but I’m excited to hear that this book is being published simultaneously in English and Spanish. I’m excited to read more thoughts about this book when it’s been more widely reviewed.
sandra_aec's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
lindseybluher's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
skiracechick's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodness this book gave me so many feelings. I came across it completely by accident, but I am so thankful that I did. This book gives such an important perspective on immigration and border crossings, and how the policies around those issues changed under Trump’s presidency. Read it! Everyone should read this!