Book picks similar to
Blue Daughter of the Red Sea: A Memoir by Meti Birabiro
ethnic
horn-of-africa
immigration
other-countries
Orangutan: A Memoir
Colin Broderick - 2009
Fewer still have emerged from the darkest depths of alcoholism—from the perpetual fistfights and muggings, car crashes and blackouts—to tell the harrowing truth about the modern Irish immigrant experience.Orangutan is the story of a generation of young men and women in search of identity in a foreign land, both in love with and at odds with the country they've made their home. So much more than just another memoir about battling addiction, Orangutan is an odyssey across the unforgiving terrain of 1980s, '90s, and post-9/11 America.Whether he is languishing in the boozy squalor of the Bronx, coke-fueled and manic in the streets of Manhattan, chasing Hunter S. Thompson's American Dream from San Francisco to the desert, or turning the South into his beer-soaked playground, Broderick plainly and unflinchingly charts what it means to be Irish in America, and how the grips of heritage can destroy a man's soul. But brutal though Orangutan may be, it is ultimately a story of hope and redemption—it is the story of an Irish drunk unlike any you've met before.
American Dirt: Chapter Sampler
Jeanine Cummins - 2019
On this side too, there are dreams.Already being hailed as "a Grapes of Wrath for our times" and "a new American classic", American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope.
If it’s only a better life you seek, seek it elsewhere...This path is only for people who have no choice, no other option, only violence and misery behind you. And your journey will grow even more treacherous from here. Everything is working against you. —American Dirt
Lydia Quixano Perez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable.Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with four books he would like to buy—two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia—trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed when they finish reading it. It is a page-turner, it is a literary achievement, it is filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page. It is one of the most important books for our times.
The Artist's Wife
Max Phillips - 2001
A glittering, darkly sensual novel, The Artist's Wife turns the lens of history upon inspiration, ambition, and love.
Anyush
Martine Madden - 2014
Defying tradition, she embarks on a secret and dangerous affair with a Turkish officer, Captain Jahan Orfalea. As the First World War rages, the Armenian people are branded enemies of the state, and atrocities grow day by day. Torn apart and catapulted into a struggle to survive in the face of persecution and hatred, the lovers strive desperately to be reunited.
Voyages
Cathy A. Small - 1997
This book includes one of the sanest and most convincing arguments that I have read for experimentation in the writing of ethnography, which is supported by the text itself as an exemplar of a modest, theoretically unpretentious experiment that works very well indeed." George E. Marcus, Rice University"While a few Californians may be aware of the Tongan immigrant population in their midst, most Americans are unaware that the United States is a major terminus for the people of Tonga, an island nation in the South Pacific. Small examines Tongan migration to the United States in a 'transnational' perspective, stressing that many of the new migrant populations seem successfully to manage dual lives, in both the old country and the new. To that end, she describes life in contemporary Tongan communities and in U.S. settings." Library JournalThis book documents the momentous social phenomena of mass migration from agricultural ex-colonies and ex-protectorates to the industrial world. Cathy A. Small provides the poignant perspective of one extended family and one village in the Kingdom of Tonga, an independent island nation in the South Pacific which has lost one third of its population to migration since the mid-1960s. Moving between Tonga and California, Small chronicles the experiences of a family from the village of 'Olunga. Some members stayed and some migrated to California, in successive waves in the 1960s-1990s. Through their lives, she presents a striking picture of Tongan culture in the United States. Returning to 'Olunga with family members and their American-born children, Small shows what happened to village life and to kin relationships thirty years after migration began.
Borderlines
Michela Wrong - 2015
British lawyer Paula Shackleton is mourning a lost love when a small man in a lemon-coloured suit accosts her over breakfast in a Boston hotel. Winston Peabody represents the African state of North Darrar, embroiled in a border arbitration case with its giant neighbour. He needs help with the hearings in The Hague, Paula needs to forget the past.She flies to the state’s capital determined to lose herself in work, but soon discovers that even jobs taken with the purest intentions can involve moral compromise. Taking testimony in scorching refugee camps, delving into the colonial past, she becomes increasingly uneasy about her role. Budding friendships with a scarred former rebel and an idealistic young doctor whittle away at her pose of sardonic indifference, until Paula finds herself taking a step no decent lawyer should ever contemplate.Michela Wrong has been writing about Africa for two decades. In this taut legal thriller, rich with the Horn of Africa’s colours and aromas, she probes the motives underlying Western engagement with the continent, questioning the value of universal justice and exploring how history itself is forged. Above all her first novel is the story of a young woman’s anguished quest for redemption.
Where She Is
Loriana Cappello - 2016
Successful, gorgeous and completely focused on getting what he wants. Me.What would you do if you caught your boyfriend in bed with another woman? Would you travel to the other side of the world in pursuit of something more? That’s exactly what I did, but this time, I vowed to be cautious in love and take care of my heart.When I met Daniel Grant, my vows flew out the window. Daniel has a dark past. One that involves a string of broken hearts and scorned women. So, should I take a chance, or should I run? Do I fight for him or back down?Only I can decide if my boss’s boss is worth the risk.Please Note: Intended for audiences over 18 due to mature content.
A Short History of Wisconsin
Erika Janik - 2010
A Short History of Wisconsin recounts the landscapes, people, and traditions that have made the state the multifaceted place it is today. With an approach both comprehensive and accessible, historian Erika Janik covers several centuries of Wisconsin's remarkable past, showing how the state was shaped by the same world wars, waves of new inhabitants, and upheavals in society and politics that shaped the nation.Swift, authoritative, and compulsively readable, A Short History of Wisconsin commences with the glaciers that hewed the region's breathtaking terrain, the Native American cultures who first called it home, and French explorers and traders who mapped what was once called "Mescousing." Janik moves through the Civil War and two world wars, covers advances in the rights of women, workers, African Americans, and Indians, and recent shifts involving the environmental movement and the conservative revolution of the late 20th century. Wisconsin has hosted industries from fur-trapping to mining to dairying, and its political landscape sprouted figures both renowned and reviled, from Fighting Bob La Follette to Joseph McCarthy. Janik finds the story of a state not only in the broad strokes of immigration and politics, but also in the daily lives shaped by work, leisure, sports, and culture. A Short History of Wisconsin offers a fresh understanding of how Wisconsin came into being and how Wisconsinites past and present share a deep connection to the land itself.
Leaving Home
David French - 1972
The first part of what has come to be known as the Mercer Series, Leaving Home tells the story of a Newfoundland family that has emigrated and lost all sense of its place in the world.Leaving Home was named one of the "100 Most Influential Canadian Books" by the Literary Review of Canada.
The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great
Pam Anderson - 2008
But gradually, Pam found herself standing with the two thirds of Americans who are more than a few pounds overweight. Fed up with whipsaw cycles of losing and gaining, she vowed to changebut not if it involved dieting, hunger pangs, or saying no to the foods she loved. Complicated recipes were out. She streamlined, creating meals as satisfying as they are quickpizzas that take just thirty minutes, big-bowl combos, and gratifying snacks to forestall cravings. She discovered a few simple habits that make all the difference. Four years later, she’s still maintaining her forty-pound weight loss. The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great is a way to eat for life. It’s filled with voice-of-experience tips for curbing appetite, no-nonsense shortcuts for getting food on the table pronto, and recipes that could only have been developed by this food-loving prono compromises, no wasted steps, just extraordinary results from ordinary ingredients.
A Country for All: An Immigrant Manifesto
Jorge Ramos - 2009
With anti-immigrant sentiment rising around the country, and presidential elections on the horizon, it’s no surprise immigration reform is on every candidate’s agenda. While some candidates offer viable solutions, others perpetuate negative stereotypes and unpractical resolve. Ramos fearlessly questions political tactics, and has undoubtedly become the voice of the Latino vote in the US. It is now more important than ever to remember the role immigrants play in enriching our economy and culture, and to find a way to incorporate the millions of productive, law-abiding workers who have been drawn to the United States by the inexorable pull of freedom and economic opportunity. In this timely book, award-winning journalist Jorge Ramos makes the case for a practical and politically achievable solution to this poignant issue. Ramos argues that we have a simple choice: to take a pragmatic approach that deals with the reality of immigration, or to continue a cruel and capricious system that doesn’t work, wastes billions of dollars, and which stands in direct opposition to our national principles.
Emily Box Set
Pamela Fagan Hutchins - 2016
A criminal attorney with a soft spot for lost causes. Can a ex-cowgirl solve the mystery before the killer rides off into the sunset?
All three full-length Emily novels in this multiple award-winning, best-selling romantic mystery trilogy from the What Doesn’t Kill You world, with nearly 6000 reviews and a 4.6+-star average.
Heaven to Betsy (Emily #1): Dumped by her husband for a man, ex-rodeo queen Emily Bernal yearns for a fresh start. When handsome attorney, Jack, offers her a gig, she's not sure if it's the right fit. But after a dead body takes a swan dive in front of her and she learns a missing six-year-old girl is caught in the aftermath, Emily's heart sends her from barrel racing to paralegal work in a hurry. When sparks fly between her and her boss and dead ends start to become dead bodies, the race to save the girl comes down to the wire. 2015 WINNER USA Best Book Award, Cross Genre Fiction.Earth to Emily (Emily #2): Emily may have traded the fast-paced rodeo world for paralegal work but the change hasn’t made her life any simpler. Between romancing her sexy attorney boss Jack and fighting for custody of her foster child, she wonders if riding a bucking bronco would be easier. But when two runaway teens beg for her help after witnessing a truck-stop murder, the former rodeo queen springs into action. When the investigation turns deadly, Emily’s only chance to keep the runaways alive is to stand toe-to-toe with a criminal conspiracy that could make her the next victim. Hell to Pay (Emily #3): Emily Bernal feels like she’s finally living her happily-ever-after. Weeks away from marrying her sexy boss and adopting the little girl who stole her heart, she thought nothing could break her stride. At least until a dead-man face-plants into an anatomically correct novelty cake and Emily’s friend is charged with murder. As she follows the crumb trail of clues, Emily must infiltrate a venomous cult and clash with her one and only nemesis. 2016 WINNER USA Best Book Award, Cross Genre Fiction. ˃˃˃ See why Pamela’s novels have won contest after contest.
2017 WINNER Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery
2016 WINNER Best Book Awards Cross-Genre Fiction
2015 WINNER Best Book Awards Cross-Genre Fiction
2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Romance, Quarter-finalist
˃˃˃ Once Upon A Romance calls Hutchins an "up-and-coming powerhouse writer." If you like Sandra Brown or Janet Evanovich, you will love Pamela Fagan Hutchins. A former attorney and native Texan, Pamela lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands for nearly ten years. She refuses to admit to taking notes for this series during that time. ˃˃˃ The reviews are in, and they're good. Very, very good. "Taut suspense." — Midwest Book Review"Quick, entertaining read." — Kirkus Reviews"Fantastic mystery." — Once Upon a Romance ˃˃˃ Catch more adventures with Emily and their friends in the What Doesn't Kill You world. Scroll up and grab your copy of the Enhanced Emily Box Set today.
The End of a Primitive
Chester Himes - 1956
They have nothing in common. Just one amazing, passionate weekend in Chicago and a desire to meet again.
The House That Love Built: Why I Opened My Door to Immigrants and How We Found Hope beyond a Broken System
Sarah Jackson - 2020
Through tender stories of opening her heart and home to immigrants, Sarah Jackson shines a holy light on loving our neighbor.Sarah Jackson once thought immigration justice was administered through higher walls and longer fences. Then she met an immigrant--a deported young father separated from his US-citizen family--and everything changed. As Sarah began to know fractured families ravaged by threats in their homeland and further traumatized in US detention, biblical justice took on a new meaning.As Sarah opened her heart--and her home--to immigrants, she experienced a surprising transformation and the gift of extraordinary community. The work she began through the ministry of Casa de Paz joined the centuries-old Christian tradition of hospitality, shining a holy light on what it means to love our neighbor.The dilemma of undocumented people continues to hover over America, and it raises urgent questions for every Christian:What is our responsibility to the "stranger" in our midst?What does God's kingdom look like in the global-political reality of immigration?What difference can one person make?Sarah engages these questions through profound and tender stories, placing readers in the shoes of individuals on every side of the issue--asylum seekers torn from their families, the guards who oversee them, ordinary people with lapsed visas, the families left to survive on their own, the unheralded advocates for immigrants' rights, and the government officials who decide the fates of others.Ultimately, Sarah's journey illuminates how hope can be restored through simple yet radical acts of love.
Mountains, Meadows, and Moonbeams: A Child's Spiritual Reader
Mary Summer Rain - 1992
Mary Summer Rain believes that "It is our spiritual responsibility to ensure that each child's understanding of the truths is as comprehensive as possible." Here is a simple, delightful, easy-to-read book, full of illustrations for coloring, which will help parents nuture the imagination and creativity of their children, and help the children understand where we all came from and who we, as human beings, really are.