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A review by katrod
Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Beautiful Country has made its way to my favorites of 2021, and to my list of memoirs that I will always recommend. What a powerhouse.
I feel like most of the American immigration stories that I read are about migrants from Central and South America. But these are not the only people looking for a “better” life in the USA. Qian Julie Wang paints the devastating picture of what it’s like to immigrate without papers to America from China.
Racism towards Asian people in our country has always been rampant, but has been swept under the rug by the “model minority” stereotype. Wang’s incredible vulnerability and beautiful writing shows just how prevalent that racism is and tells the awful story of what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that kind of hatred and ignorance as a young child.
She also describes some of the most vivid memories of being poor and hungry. I wept as she talked about sharing one single slice of pizza between her and her parents for dinner, or how she began to lie to her mother and tell her she was fed both breakfast and lunch at school so her mom would no longer have to worry about feeding her breakfast.
I have been so privileged in my life to never have to feel that kind of hunger and I was so heartbroken to read Wang’s story and know that she was only one of many who have had such experiences.
Something I think that particularly works in this memoir is Wang’s ability to write from the child’s perspective. She’s able to write so beautifully, while also putting you into the mind of a seven year old child. We really saw things through her eyes, processed her thoughts and feelings in real time. It was just masterfully done, and I can’t praise this memoir enough.
If you’re looking to add more non-fiction to your reading, please add this to your TBR. Wang’s story is one I will not forget easily.
I feel like most of the American immigration stories that I read are about migrants from Central and South America. But these are not the only people looking for a “better” life in the USA. Qian Julie Wang paints the devastating picture of what it’s like to immigrate without papers to America from China.
Racism towards Asian people in our country has always been rampant, but has been swept under the rug by the “model minority” stereotype. Wang’s incredible vulnerability and beautiful writing shows just how prevalent that racism is and tells the awful story of what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that kind of hatred and ignorance as a young child.
She also describes some of the most vivid memories of being poor and hungry. I wept as she talked about sharing one single slice of pizza between her and her parents for dinner, or how she began to lie to her mother and tell her she was fed both breakfast and lunch at school so her mom would no longer have to worry about feeding her breakfast.
I have been so privileged in my life to never have to feel that kind of hunger and I was so heartbroken to read Wang’s story and know that she was only one of many who have had such experiences.
Something I think that particularly works in this memoir is Wang’s ability to write from the child’s perspective. She’s able to write so beautifully, while also putting you into the mind of a seven year old child. We really saw things through her eyes, processed her thoughts and feelings in real time. It was just masterfully done, and I can’t praise this memoir enough.
If you’re looking to add more non-fiction to your reading, please add this to your TBR. Wang’s story is one I will not forget easily.