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hllyhng 's review for:
Beautiful Country
by Qian Julie Wang
A memoir recounting her childhood growing up undocumented on the streets of New York City’s Manhattan Chinatown, Beautiful Country is an all-around unassuming memoir to be read. I fell in love with Wang’s simple prose that she uses to detail memories of her mother and father and their strained relationships as intergenerational trauma weaved itself tightly within their lives.
While Wang was born in China, her father insisted the family move to the United States in search of their “American dream.” This dream was comprised of a shoe-box apartment in various small, decrepit apartment buildings in low-income POC communities. Wang, however, still holds onto fond memories of these spaces, particularly of reading her favorite books in the bathroom—the one place of peace and solace within their home.
I found so many of her experiences to resonate with my own, imagining that the little girl this memoir centers around could’ve been me or, even more so, a friend.
As this isn’t an autobiography, I enjoyed reading about her childhood, up until the point of her and her family entering Canada. It leaves so much left to discover about Wang and the rest of her journey. Bravo.
While Wang was born in China, her father insisted the family move to the United States in search of their “American dream.” This dream was comprised of a shoe-box apartment in various small, decrepit apartment buildings in low-income POC communities. Wang, however, still holds onto fond memories of these spaces, particularly of reading her favorite books in the bathroom—the one place of peace and solace within their home.
I found so many of her experiences to resonate with my own, imagining that the little girl this memoir centers around could’ve been me or, even more so, a friend.
As this isn’t an autobiography, I enjoyed reading about her childhood, up until the point of her and her family entering Canada. It leaves so much left to discover about Wang and the rest of her journey. Bravo.