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brookeisbooked 's review for:
Beautiful Country: A Memoir
by Qian Julie Wang, Qian Julie Wang
This is one of those books that will stick with me forever. It's simultaneously both beautiful and sad. After finishing this, I went for a walk and felt myself genuinely looking at the world differently. There's not many books that stay with me like that.
"But in the vacuum of anxiety that was undocumented life, fear was gaseous: it expanded to fill our entire world until it was all we could breathe."
In Chinese, Mei Guo is the word for America, which translates to "beautiful country." From the outside, America might seem that way, but turns out this country isn't so beautiful after all.
Qian's memoir was stunning, heartbreaking, moving. She writes about the hurdles of adapting to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. Being constantly on edge, worried that at any minute her and her family might be deported. The struggles of having to put food on the table, and doing what it takes to get it there. What it was like to be an outsider, especially at school. Having to work harder than those around her to prove she belongs.
The writing was emotional and riveting. The pain and the trauma is palpable through the words on the page. It's heavy and heartbreaking, yet beautiful and inspiring.
No review anyone writes will ever do this book justice. Everyone needs to read this. I'd recommend it to literally everyone.
"But in the vacuum of anxiety that was undocumented life, fear was gaseous: it expanded to fill our entire world until it was all we could breathe."
In Chinese, Mei Guo is the word for America, which translates to "beautiful country." From the outside, America might seem that way, but turns out this country isn't so beautiful after all.
Qian's memoir was stunning, heartbreaking, moving. She writes about the hurdles of adapting to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. Being constantly on edge, worried that at any minute her and her family might be deported. The struggles of having to put food on the table, and doing what it takes to get it there. What it was like to be an outsider, especially at school. Having to work harder than those around her to prove she belongs.
The writing was emotional and riveting. The pain and the trauma is palpable through the words on the page. It's heavy and heartbreaking, yet beautiful and inspiring.
No review anyone writes will ever do this book justice. Everyone needs to read this. I'd recommend it to literally everyone.