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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
Absolutely devastating, absolutely beautiful, this book is everything. Just wow.
This was an extremely well written memoir of the author’s experience as an immigrant in New York City. What really struck me is how clearly the author was able to write about emotions that she must’ve felt decades ago. Reading this was a reminder that what we say and how we say things can have an affect on someone for the rest of their lives. I’m a teacher, and there are kids in the classes I teach that have moved to the United States sometimes days ago. This book served, for me, as a reminder to be gracious in my interactions with those students and to everybody, honestly. The fact that Wang wrote so vividly about what seem like minor interactions was eye-opening and had me think back to those formative one-off moments that I had growing up.
I also loved how Wang wrote about her evolving relationship with her parents. It’s impossible for children to understand that our parents are trying their hardest, even in difficult circumstances. The Wang family’s circumstances were a lot more difficult than mine, and the writing really transports you into the sweatshops on East Broadway and into the one room with a bed on it shared by three people. Qian Wang writes about seeing these struggles in a way that makes you feel like you’re inside the mind of a child with descriptions of knowing that her dad was going to be mad just by the look in his eyes. Or knowing her Mom was zoning her out because of hunger. These are real emotions, but written about as if I was reading it from a kid’s perspective. It really was brilliant. The acknowledgments section has a beautiful paragraph from adult Qian Wang with a clearer knowledge of the sacrifices her parents made.
This really was an excellent book and a story that’s easy to get engrossed in. I could’ve read 300 more pages.
I also loved how Wang wrote about her evolving relationship with her parents. It’s impossible for children to understand that our parents are trying their hardest, even in difficult circumstances. The Wang family’s circumstances were a lot more difficult than mine, and the writing really transports you into the sweatshops on East Broadway and into the one room with a bed on it shared by three people. Qian Wang writes about seeing these struggles in a way that makes you feel like you’re inside the mind of a child with descriptions of knowing that her dad was going to be mad just by the look in his eyes. Or knowing her Mom was zoning her out because of hunger. These are real emotions, but written about as if I was reading it from a kid’s perspective. It really was brilliant. The acknowledgments section has a beautiful paragraph from adult Qian Wang with a clearer knowledge of the sacrifices her parents made.
This really was an excellent book and a story that’s easy to get engrossed in. I could’ve read 300 more pages.
A captivating, brutally honest firsthand look at the rarely read-about life of Chinese immigrants in America—as seen from the eyes of a child. A promising debut that leaves you aching for more.
medium-paced
I felt like I was a little slow getting into this, but once I knew Qian a little better (probably not quite halfway in), I was fully invested in getting to know this little girl and her history and thoughts better. Wang is a strong writer with a vivid, difficult history. Once I was in, I was REALLY in! I stayed up late last night to find out where her story took me.
I also think this was an important history to challenge my world view. I know that undocumented immigrants come from every country. I really do know that. But I admit my default tends to be to imagine Latinos, so it's always a good thing when I'm reminded that this is an experience beyond one single culture or people.
I also think this was an important history to challenge my world view. I know that undocumented immigrants come from every country. I really do know that. But I admit my default tends to be to imagine Latinos, so it's always a good thing when I'm reminded that this is an experience beyond one single culture or people.
This is a memoir of Qian Wang's childhood to about sixth grade. Qian's family immigrated to the United States illegally when she was seven. They lived in a single family house they shared with other families and worked in sweatshops for pennies, saving every precious cent. Qian recounts her life of poverty, working alongside her mother trimming threads off of shirts at the sweatshop and her shame when she can only afford to give a classmate a pencil for a Christmas gift exchange. She writes about her ever-present fears that someone will notice them and turn her family in to be deported: a police officer, a teacher, a doctor. All of the things that I took for granted as a child growing up in America as a citizen, she and her parents had to negotiate and work for. This was a humbling book to read, and a voice not often heard in poverty stories. There was a surprising scene of animal abuse; a human vs. cat episode that really shocked me. Aside from that part, I really enjoyed reading this book. I am giving it four stars.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Interesting and important story, told in a kind flat way
beautiful beautiful story that exposes the ugliness of the U.S. immigration/education systems and the racism that continues to permeate society today, juxtaposed with the american dream, immigrants’ idealized view of america through rose-tinted glasses — the irony of our so-called beautiful country. i especially loved how the story was told from a child’s POV; i feel like it’s rare to find a memoir told from that perspective and wang understands intimately how children’s voices are almost always missing and excluded.
the scene that stuck with me the most was of course the part where wang is placed in a special education classroom, her lack of english speaking ability equated with a mental disability/special needs. many brilliant immigrant/newcomer/multilingual children are mistaken for being “less intelligent” simply because they aren’t fluent in english, and as a result, don’t have access to the high quality education they deserve. i hate how this country equates intelligence with specifically english language speaking ability (makes me think of angie kim’s book “happiness falls”).
i truly hope someday all children will have access to a high quality education that challenges and stimulates their love for learning, but i’m afraid that will take a long time.
the scene that stuck with me the most was of course the part where wang is placed in a special education classroom, her lack of english speaking ability equated with a mental disability/special needs. many brilliant immigrant/newcomer/multilingual children are mistaken for being “less intelligent” simply because they aren’t fluent in english, and as a result, don’t have access to the high quality education they deserve. i hate how this country equates intelligence with specifically english language speaking ability (makes me think of angie kim’s book “happiness falls”).
i truly hope someday all children will have access to a high quality education that challenges and stimulates their love for learning, but i’m afraid that will take a long time.
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced