Tag Archives: immigrants

** Europe’s Angry Muslims by Robert Leiken

Europe’s Angry Muslims: The Revolt of The Second Generation tries to do two things, one that’s very successful, the other one not so much. The success is in describing the muslim communities in the UK, Germany, and France and highlighting … Continue reading

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** The Barbarian Nurseries by Hector Tobar

There’s plenty to like in The Barbarian Nurseries, starting with an interesting plot of an illegal, exploited Mexican housekeeper being left alone with the children of the family without notice. The true affection between her and the boys is also … Continue reading

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* Living “Illegal” by Marie Friedmann Marquardt et al.

Living “Illegal” sets out to put a human face on illegal immigration in the US, and is successful, to a point, since it tells many stories of real immigrants, most in the Atlanta area, and the sad consequences on themselves … Continue reading

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** My New American Life by Francine Prose

I enjoyed My New American Life a lot. Maybe too much, since it’s not the deepest story in the world, but it’s not trying to be either. It centers on an immigrant Albanian nanny — albeit to a motherless high … Continue reading

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** The Free World by David Bezmozgis

There is ample potential in The Free World: the vast historical landscape of 20th century Europe, a large family of Jewish emigrants from Latvia (still part of the soviet Union), marooned in Rome while waiting for their final destination, which … Continue reading

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*** Voice of America by E.C. Osondu

The stories in Voice of America are not for the faint of heart. They are filled with war atrocities, abandoned children, brides-to-be sent to the fattening camp who then become abused wives, exploited immigrants, and all kinds of barbarous customs. … Continue reading

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The Poker Bride by Christopher Corbett

The Poker Bride tells the story of early Chinese immigrants to the United States, organized around the story of a woman, the bride who was, perhaps, won in a poker game, who came to San Francisco and onward to Idaho … Continue reading

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Atlas of Unknowns by Tania James

Atlas of Unknowns tells the story of two Indian sisters, one who has a chance, not wholly deserved, to study in the US, while the other stays home and takes care of her father and grandmother. The tortuous visa application … Continue reading

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Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Brooklyn is the story of a young woman who is stuck in a circumscribed life in a small Irish town, living with her mother and older sister and unable to find proper work despite her accounting skills. By chance she … Continue reading

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Generosity by Richard Powers

Generosity is a strange novel. It starts brilliantly, with a routine creative fiction class taught by a harassed lecturer trying to escape his boring day job as an editor and attended by a hodgepodge of students including the gifted and … Continue reading

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