In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo was one of those rare books that you pick up and cannot put down until you have finished the last page. When I first opened it and saw that it was a book written in verse, I groaned to myself, since many books that I have read in this style have been quite tedious and self-indulgent. I was resolved to give it a chance, though, and I am very glad I did. I forget how poetry often boils things down to the essence of something and gives you an intense experience that escapes being watered down by too many words. I was drawn in from the very first page and felt all the feelings so viscerally.
While I did not immigrate to the US as a child, I am the child of Taiwanese immigrants who chose to open a small business in an area that was not particularly welcoming to those who look different and speak a different language. I lived in the back rooms of my parents’ store for the first years of my life and worked there for many years as a child and teenager.
Jane’s descriptions of the ways Anna does not fit in at school, how she gets bullied, and even the exact words her bullies used to torment her, brought back waves of emotions from my own childhood when I experienced pretty much exactly the same thing. The difficulties her parents faced with break-ins and financial stress, and all the arguing, were also familiar and made me consider again how resilient my own parents were to overcome such huge obstacles. The way she wove Anna’s often conflicting emotions into each minimalistic, yet beautifully written “chapter” was impressive and extremely effective.
There are so many stories that live in the AAPI community and I thought this one was masterfully told. I absolutely loved this book and will be using this in my future teaching.
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Captivating novel for both youth and adults
I got this book for myself and loved it. I want to read it again, but now my 14-year-old daughter has it and won't relinquish it till she is done. She's captivated so it looks like I won't have to wait too long! This book is beautifully written and as I read I found myself pausing periodically to savor the words, reflect on the themes, and let the stirred-up feelings wash over me. This book will stay with me (in a good way) for a long time.
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