Beautiful Country: A Memoir
Categories: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Author: Qian Julie Wang
Genres: Biographies, Chinese, Dreamers, Immigrants, Memoirs, Multicultural Interest, Nonfiction
Publisher: Doubleday
An incandescent memoir from an astonishing new talent, Beautiful Country puts readers in the shoes of an undocumented child living in poverty in the richest country in the world. In Chinese, the word for America, Mei Guo, translates directly to “beautiful country.” Yet when seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity, she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity. In China, Qian’s parents were professors; in America, her family is…
When Qian was five, she and her mother arrive in the United States to live with her father. Since they are undocumented, they must live in the shadows. They work in sweatshops and their home is furnished with finds from the street. She has a hard time fitting in with her school mates since she lives in poverty.
The author describes in detail her life from arriving to the United States until she enters eighth grade. Her life was hard and full of hardships but had moments of joy. She shows how difficult life can be for undocumented people. If you are interested in how difficult life can be for immigrants, you should read this book.
