An extraordinary memoir of a girl who learns to live - and then escape - an invisible life
In China she was the daughter of professors. In Brooklyn her family is 'illegal.'
Qian is just seven when she moves to America, the 'Beautiful Country', where she and her parents find that the roads of New York City are not paved with gold, but crushing fear and scarcity. Unable to speak English at first, Qian and her parents must work wherever they can to survive, all while she battles hunger and loneliness at school. Thus begins an extraordinary story that describes, in vivid colours, days labouring in sweatshops and sushi factories, nights scavenging the streets for furniture, and the terrifying moment when the family emerges from the shadows to seek emergency medical treatment for Qian's mother.
Qian Julie Wang's memoir is an unforgettable account of what it means to live under the perpetual threat of deportation and the small joys and sheer determination that kept her family afloat in a new land. Told from a child's perspective, in a voice that is intimate, poignant and startlingly lyrical, Beautiful Country is the story of a girl who learns first to live - and then escape - an invisible life.
An extraordinary memoir of a girl who learns to live - and then escape - an invisible life
In China she was the daughter of professors. In Brooklyn her family is 'illegal.'
Qian is just seven when she moves to America, the 'Beautiful Country', where she and her parents find that the roads of New York City are not paved with gold, but crushing fear and scarcity. Unable to speak English at first, Qian and her parents must work wherever they can to survive, all while she battles hunger and loneliness at school. Thus begins an extraordinary story that describes, in vivid colours, days labouring in sweatshops and sushi factories, nights scavenging the streets for furniture, and the terrifying moment when the family emerges from the shadows to seek emergency medical treatment for Qian's mother.
Qian Julie Wang's memoir is an unforgettable account of what it means to live under the perpetual threat of deportation and the small joys and sheer determination that kept her family afloat in a new land. Told from a child's perspective, in a voice that is intimate, poignant and startlingly lyrical, Beautiful Country is the story of a girl who learns first to live - and then escape - an invisible life.
Qian Julie Wang is a graduate of Yale Law School and Swarthmore College and is managing partner of a law firm dedicated to advocating for education, disability, and civil rights. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times and the Washington Post, among other major U.S. publications. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two rescue dogs. Beautiful Country is her first book.
A story that needs to be heard. Moving, beautiful, heartbreaking
and even funny . . . I never wanted it to end
*Philippa Perry*
Now a successful lawyer, Qian is working through her trauma in this
book, but it's joyous too, with moments of brightness breaking
through even the most trying times
*Sunday Times, Books of the Year*
Elegantly affecting . . . Qian Julie Wang tells a remarkable story
of displacement, heartache and resilience
*Guardian, Best Biographies and Memoirs of 2021*
Deeply compelling . . . I was moved by the love and resilience of
this family thrust into darkness. The book casts an urgent light on
a reality that extends way beyond America's borders
*Hisham Matar, author of The Return*
A powerful, gripping insight into the world of an undocumented
migrant in New York . . . beautifully written, with vivid scenes
that linger in the mind long after finishing it
*Helena Merriman*
Sharply observed . . . Wang's story leaves the reader wishing that
wanting a better future, and working hard for it, wasn't illegal in
a country that has been built on the back of immigrants
*FT*
Astonishing . . . In restrained but beautiful prose, Wang honours
her family's sacrifices, but alerts us to the urgent realisation
that they should not be necessary
*Nesrine Malik*
Intricate and penetrating . . . a beautiful and hopeful read that
also underlines what can truly happen to people who are simply
seeking refuge
*Stylist, an Unmissable Memoir for Summer 2021*
The must-read book of 2021
*Marie Claire*
This beautifully expressed memoir of the immigrant experience
charts her parents' struggles to survive as "illegals" in New York
while their daughter battles hunger and loneliness at school, and
is all the more moving for being related from a child's point of
view
*The Bookseller, Editor's Choice*
A vital and unforgettable read
*Refinery29*
A heart-wrenching and intimate account of life under the
ever-present threat of deportation
*Woman's Own Magazine*
Heart-wrenching . . . A memoir about resilience and overcoming the
odds, about finding the small moments of joys which punctuate even
the grimmest of childhoods
*Bad Form*
Consider this remarkable memoir a new classic
*Publishers Weekly, Starred Review*
A potent testament to the love, curiosity, grit, and hope of a
courageous and resourceful immigrant child. Engaging readers
through all five senses and the heart, Wang's debut memoir is a
critical addition to the literature on immigration as well as the
timeless category of childhood memoir
*Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review*
Heartrending, unvarnished, and powerfully courageous, this account
of growing up undocumented in America will never leave you
*Gish Jen, author of The Resisters*
Beautiful Country rings with power and authenticity. Wang's searing
exploration reveals how she and her family were forced to navigate
the yawning cracks in the American Dream. An eloquent,
thought-provoking and touching memoir
*Jean Kwok, author of Girl in Translation and Searching for Sylvie
Lee*
Powerful . . . A haunting memoir of people and places that will
stay with readers long after the last page
*Library Journal*
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
