Immigrant Fiction
"Immigration" has become a hot political buzzword in recent months, but the immigrant experience is also a rich source for great fiction. These books provide not only some excellent stories, but also a better understanding of what it means to become an American.
"Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
When Ifelmelu and Obinze fall in love as teenagers, they cannot predict the drastically different courses their lives will take. Driven from their Nigerian homeland--and one another--by the oppression of a military dictatorship, the lovers end up on opposite sides of the Atlantic: Ifelmelu in the U.S., Obinze in Great Britain. The ensuing years will bring many suprises, and perhaps a chance to be together once again--but only if they can withstand the tests presented them along the way.
"My Ántonia" by Willa Cather
A classic of both immigrant fiction and American literature in general, "My Ántonia" recounts the struggles and successes of a Bohemian family trying to carve out an existence on the Nebraskan plains in the late 19th century. The setting and subject matter will appeal to fans of "Little House on the Prairie," while Cather's beautiful prose and deep empathy for her characters make this a worthwhile read no matter your interests.
"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" by Junot Díaz
This debut novel by Junot Díaz won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award when it was published in 2007, and it's not difficult to see why. Written in a sharp, often hilarious blend of English and Spanish slang, pop culture references and lyrical prose, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" is an epic coming-of-age story about a young Dominican-American man's quest to find love and forge an identity for himself.
"The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
When Maribel Rivera sustains a dangerous head injury, her parents decide to leave their comfortable life in Mexico to enroll her in a special needs school in the U.S. They take up residence in a shabby apartment complex in Delaware, and it is not long before Maribel strikes up a friendship--and perhaps something more--with a Panamanian neighbor named Mayor Toro. The novel is notable for Henríquez' use of a shifting point of view, which serves to illustrate the variety of lives led by "unknown Americans" each day.
"Girl in Translation" by Jean Kwok
"Girl in Translation" tells the story of Ah-Kim "Kimberly" Chang, following her journey from the time she leaves Hong Kong with her mother at age 11, through her complicated adolescence in New York, and finally to college and beyond. In addition to barriers of culture and language, she must overcome the suspicions of a teacher, the pressures of her classmates, and the twists and turns of young love; but she also finds genuine friendship, and the strength to make something of herself against all odds.
"The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
After a series of mishaps leaves the newborn son of Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli without a legal name, he is hastily given the appellation "Gogol" after a Russian writer his father admires. Thus begins the strange life of Gogol Ganguli, whose name reflects not only the unpredictable forces that shape our lives, but also the blend and clash of cultures that will come to define his experience as the son of Bengali immigrants in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Lahiri won the Pulitzer Prize for her debut collection "The Interpreter of Maladies," and this novel follows in that impressive tradition.
"The Refugees" by Viet Thanh Nguyen
This brand new collection of short stories by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Sympathizer" explores a wide variety of topics, from family conflict to mental illness to the nature of identity and memory. There is a common thread, however: each of these tales addresses the experiences of Vietnamese immigrants in America, and the questions that arise when a person is torn between two cultures. Viet Thanh Nguyen is fast becoming an important voice in American literature, and "The Refugees" is a great introduction to his work.
"The Buddha in the Attic" by Julie Otsuka
Reading Julie Otsuka's PEN/Faulkner Award-winning novella is a literary experience unlike any other you've probably had. Rather than following a single character or set of characters, Otsuka depicts a whole group of immigrants: the Japanese "picuture brides" who journeyed to America en masse at the beginning of the 20th century to marry men they'd never met. The book is narrated by all of these women at once, using "we" rather than "I," and provides a unique and touching perspective on an often-overlooked period of U.S. history.
"The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
A modern classic, "The Joy Luck Club" tells the tale of four recently-emigrated Chinese-American women who come together for company and comfort in mid-century San Francisco. Amid the food, conversation and games of mahjong, they soon find themselves bonding over their culture and the trials of motherhood, as well as discovering unexpected, sometimes difficult truths about themselves.
"Brooklyn" by Colm Tóibín
This deceptively simple novel is the story of Eilis Lacey, a young woman who leaves her familiar life in Ireland for the melting pot of 1950s New York City. Tóibín skillfully captures the small joys and setbacks that accompany life in an unfamiliar place, and tells a tale that is both gentle and memorable. Also worth checking out is the recent film adaptation, directed by John Crowley and starring Saoirse Ronan.
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