I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading non-fiction. Her writing shows us how vast the space is between being born a citizen and being undocumented, while still feeling the cord connecting our humanity. Probably, most people can understand the fear of being rejected. And, we can relate to her experience of teachers not understanding or believing in her potential. She experiences the pain of parents who are fighting. Meanwhile, it also draws forth our empathy. Qian Wang’s incredibly difficult childhood story is deftly written to demonstrate her singularity. Sadly, It’s a place where we promise “the pursuit of happiness,” but we withhold it from some. This book was so glorious as it walked my ignorance through the delicate land of love and despair this country can inspire.
In the last few years, I really have found myself asking, “Are we a good and generous people?” I have genuinely questioned whether or not we are a beautiful country. We had the kind of privilege that says if I have won money, it’s mine to use for joy and never for duty. I never feared going without breakfast and my mother always had a balanced meal on the table. I needed this book and I think you will find it to be an important read too.īetter than any other, this book illustrated to me the extreme amount of privilege I was entitled to as a young child. What I thought was being poor, turns out to have been incredible privilege. It’s a story that I could not help noticing the vast gulf between my “poor” childhood and her “poor” childhood. The childhood Qian experienced in the mid-nineties in New York City shocked me. It’s a beautiful and disturbing account of the harsh unyielding pain caused by fear and exploitation. “Beautiful Country” by Qian Julie Wang is a non-fiction memoir about life as an undocumented immigrant in New York City.
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