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A review by jenbsbooks
In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero
3.75
I happened upon a physical copy of this book while doing some thrift store shopping (for my LFL) and saw this book had high reviews. Audible only ... but there was a sale, so I purchased the audio and was able to borrow the Kindle copy from the library. I went primarily with the audio, narrated by the author.
I was not familiar with the author - I've seen an episode or two of Orange, but it was a while back. I needed a non-fiction for the month, and I'm interested in immigration stories.
This felt a little like two books - one part following the struggle of her/her parents as they stayed in the country illegally, knowing that being caught and deported was always something that could happen. The mother was taken and deported once earlier in the memoir, somehow made it back (we don't know exactly how) before both parents were taken, leaving the young Diane alone.
She did have a friend/neighbor who took her in, and was able to visit her parents, and talk by telephone after they were deported to Columbia. But, she was struggling through the school system and life mostly alone, hiding the truth (just not sure what people would think), dealing with depression .
The second "storyline" is more about her pursuit of a career.
It kept my interest, and I felt I learned a little more about how things work (or don't), some of the struggles that I'm lucky enough not to have personal experience with. The author was a good narrator, very animated. The writing (with Michelle Burford) was easy and conversational.
The Kindle and physical copy had pictures. They were interspersed, at the end of each chapter. Having listened to the audio edition, and just flipping through the text, I would have preferred the pictures to all be together at the end, for easier viewing (although had I been reading on my own, I might have preferred this picture placement).
17 chapters, with an introduction and "Call to Action" (physical copy had a TOC) - I do think she makes some very good points in the "Call to Action" portion. Checking out the other covers (Kindle) one has a picture (of her) as a much younger child, maybe 6 or 7 ... which I think is a bit misleading (she was just 14 when her parents were taken, yet that IS a different visual). The new cover recreates the pose in adult form. It looks like the book was re-written for middle graders too ... it would be interesting to check it out and see how it compares (likely missing the language/proFanity x12) and some of the heavier and more titillating stuff? More just the immigration portions instead of her work in the industry?
First person/past tense - per usual for a memoir.
I was not familiar with the author - I've seen an episode or two of Orange, but it was a while back. I needed a non-fiction for the month, and I'm interested in immigration stories.
This felt a little like two books - one part following the struggle of her/her parents as they stayed in the country illegally, knowing that being caught and deported was always something that could happen. The mother was taken and deported once earlier in the memoir, somehow made it back (we don't know exactly how) before both parents were taken, leaving the young Diane alone.
She did have a friend/neighbor who took her in, and was able to visit her parents, and talk by telephone after they were deported to Columbia. But, she was struggling through the school system and life mostly alone, hiding the truth (just not sure what people would think), dealing with depression .
The second "storyline" is more about her pursuit of a career.
It kept my interest, and I felt I learned a little more about how things work (or don't), some of the struggles that I'm lucky enough not to have personal experience with. The author was a good narrator, very animated. The writing (with Michelle Burford) was easy and conversational.
The Kindle and physical copy had pictures. They were interspersed, at the end of each chapter. Having listened to the audio edition, and just flipping through the text, I would have preferred the pictures to all be together at the end, for easier viewing (although had I been reading on my own, I might have preferred this picture placement).
17 chapters, with an introduction and "Call to Action" (physical copy had a TOC) - I do think she makes some very good points in the "Call to Action" portion. Checking out the other covers (Kindle) one has a picture (of her) as a much younger child, maybe 6 or 7 ... which I think is a bit misleading (she was just 14 when her parents were taken, yet that IS a different visual). The new cover recreates the pose in adult form. It looks like the book was re-written for middle graders too ... it would be interesting to check it out and see how it compares (likely missing the language/proFanity x12) and some of the heavier and more titillating stuff? More just the immigration portions instead of her work in the industry?
First person/past tense - per usual for a memoir.