13 Families and the New Lives They Made in America
September 15, 2009
As Roberts ("My Fathers' Houses") recognizes, no single storyor even collection of storiescan tell a reader the entire immigrant experience. The 13 families highlighted in this book, however, voice a diverse group of immigrant experiences, which will be enlightening for readers who want to learn more about the human side of what is often a highly polarizing issue. Their stories range from an escape from Vietnam to a choice to attend graduate school in the United States. Each family's account is fairly short, contributing to the book's readability but at the same time requiring Roberts to summarize years of people's lives and at times simplify the complex histories of their countries of origin. Numerous rich quotes from each family allow them to speak for themselves, and their inclusion is one of the highlights of the book. VERDICT This will appeal to general readers, particularly those who enjoy family histories, biographies, and memoirs as well as anyone interested in immigration.Madeline Mundt, Univ. of Nevada, Reno Libs.
Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.