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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
inspiring
slow-paced
I thought it was a very good story but I just wasn’t in the mood for a memoir. Right book wrong time.
Beautiful, heart wrenching story mostly about her early elementary school years. I hope to hear more of the authors later years- a future memoir?
The overall message of this book is impactful but it took the author a long time to get to the point, there was a lot of irrelevant information even though she was trying to tell a story.
Not really my type of book, so I didn’t find it that interesting but I can appreciate the insight it provides into the immigrant experience. It was a friends recommendation since its her favorite, and while its not my usual read, I can see why it resonates with so many people.
This is a really beautifully written memoir about a Chinese immigrant family in Brooklyn. Their visas run out and you experience through the eyes of a young girl, what it was like to grow up undocumented in the United States in the 90’s. And when I say beautifully written, I don’t mean that it’s lovely and comfortable in all the right ways. It’s highly uncomfortable, but very tender and honest. This book is the answer back to folks out there who think that people who are undocumented are taking something from citizens. Qian Julie Wang writes about her childhood in the way that only someone with vivid memories and struggle after struggle can write. The confusion, the fear, the hunger, the shame, the small joys, the heartbreaks. She puts a very human face on the struggle of immigrants in general, and those who are undocumented in particular.
Beautifully written and an important account of immigrant childhood by someone about my same age. There is so much clarity in the writing and it feels very true to life.
Not to be dramatic, but this is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. Cried throughout the entire book.
Sweet and somber. Told from the perspective of her child self, Wang shares her experiences as an undocumented immigrant from China in the U.S. during her formative years. And she is remarkable!
It’s an educational read and Wang’s story spans relatable scenarios to those that are so difficult, you want to dissociate from them.
Examples:
Relatable: Feeling awkward or like a misfit among peers or wildly wanting a furry pet
Painful: Working long hours in a sweatshop and being so weak from hunger that she can’t concentrate in elementary school
Wang’s story will yank at your heartstrings and provide perspective on sacrifice and perseverance, adaptability and the fear and trauma it can leave in its wake. And, of course, Wang’s story is one of love: love of family, country, culture and… learning to love and accept oneself.
I found myself wanting to wrap little Qian Qian in a giant hug and ease her worries.
Book gifted: Thank you, Allison!
It’s an educational read and Wang’s story spans relatable scenarios to those that are so difficult, you want to dissociate from them.
Examples:
Relatable: Feeling awkward or like a misfit among peers or wildly wanting a furry pet
Painful: Working long hours in a sweatshop and being so weak from hunger that she can’t concentrate in elementary school
Wang’s story will yank at your heartstrings and provide perspective on sacrifice and perseverance, adaptability and the fear and trauma it can leave in its wake. And, of course, Wang’s story is one of love: love of family, country, culture and… learning to love and accept oneself.
I found myself wanting to wrap little Qian Qian in a giant hug and ease her worries.
Book gifted: Thank you, Allison!