The Tortilla Curtain

The Tortilla Curtain

by T. Coraghessan Boyle

Pages: 355 

Rating 4 out of 5 stars 

Topanga Canyon is home to two couples whose lives are intertwined, Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher wealthy liberals and Candido and America Rincon illegal immigrants from Mexico. This timely novel written in 1995, asks hard questions of those who believe they are the good guys and are doing everything they can for those who want to better themselves. Makes you consider how small everyday choices affects others lives. 

Thank You Audiobooks!

Lately, I've been having trouble focusing for long enough to get through longer books. Thank you audiobooks for being there for me! This is a tribute to all the audiobooks that have helped me get through the past few months: 

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

I wasn't a huge fan of this one, but I totally get why people liked it. I liked the conflicts between faith and science, adding the immigrant experience, grief, and drug addiction on top of it. The complexity of it made the story feel very real to me. I also enjoyed the little scientific discussions scattered throughout, giving context and relevant analogies to the story.  Plus it's narrated by my faaaaavorite reader, Bahni Turpin. It was an engaging read, and this book would be great for those who like literary fiction and novels highlighting social issues. 

261 pages

Rage by Bob Woodward

I know, I know. Everyone is sick of politics by now. Why would I put myself through this book? (To be fair, I read this in October) It's partly because I've enjoyed Woodward's other books. He asks very good interview questions, and the answers given by the subject in this one are... mindboggling. Not surprising, just perplexing. I really liked how the audiobook had the actual recorded interview segments included in the Appendix. That was cool. This would be a good read for anyone who actually isn't sick of politics right now (so what, that's maybe 50 or so people, if that?).

452 pages

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

The premise of the novel is really good! A family is on vacation, only the homeowners show up to stay while the world is falling apart around them. My biggest issue with the book is that the actual details of the apocalypse are never described besides flashes and tidbits. Was it nuclear war? Climate change? Power outages? Something else? Who knows! That isn't really the point though. This is a well written apocalypse novel for dystopian junkies and literary fiction lovers alike. 

241 pages

Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness and Family Secrets by Luke Dittritch

Dittritch is a journalist, but his grandfather was the brain surgeon who sliced out Henry Molaison's hippocampus, leaving him incapable of storing long term memories. I remember learning about H.M. in a psychology course, but this book got so deep into the personal details of the people surrounding Henry's life. Dude, this doctor was nuts! He climbed the Brooklyn Bridge when it was still under construction! He experimented on (mostly female) asylum patients  just to see what would happen after chopping up their brains! He even conducted surgery on his own wife! That is seriously messed up. Also, the psychologist who worked with Henry later in life was so possessive of him and her research that we can't even look back at her research notes anymore. *insert anger emoji* This story was engaging and shocking, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in medicine, psychology, or narrative nonfiction. 

440 pages

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Since it began in 2018, I've been reading the books from the Barnes and Noble book club-and if I'm not too busy, attending the discussions at my store in Columbia. Even if I didn't enjoy them, they have all been great novels, giving me a lot to think about! Given the bad press around this one, I almost didn't read it. Now, I wish I hadn't. More of a thriller than a serious contemporary novel, it felt like the author put the worst possible result of any situation into each chapter for the shock value, rather than try to depict the actual experiences of South American migrants. 

It's a bit of a train wreck. Lydia, a privileged middle class woman, who secretly loves English novels, escapes from cartel violence in Acapulco after 16 members of her family are slaughtered at her niece's quinceanera, an act portrayed as common and unremarkable (Note: It's not). She then flees with her son, joining with two girls from Honduras also fleeing gang violence. They travel to "el norte" on "la bestia", the train ridden by migrants, being chased by "La Migra" police and the leader of "Los Jardineros" cartel, who of course, is in love with her. Yikes. (also the peppering of the text with basic Spanish words for "authenticity's sake" drove me nuts)

The author made a point not to make the book-covering a messy and controversial issue-political. This being nearly impossible, she does so by turning the touchiest issues into jokes. At one point, a character makes an assertion, in all seriousness, that the migrants-excepting the main characters, one assumes-are "bad hombres", or else, they wouldn't be in this situation. Later, the only mention of child separation at the border comes in the form of a joke-how does one tell the difference between migrants and deportees? The deportees are haunted by the cries of their children left in "Estados Unidos". Just kidding! LoL! ...  o.o

I read this so you don't have to.

386 pages

American Street by Ibi Zoboi

American Street by Ibi Zoboi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story of Fabiola, who immigrates back to America (Detroit) after living most of her 17 years of life in Haiti, is culturally captivating. I enjoyed every bit of Haitian culture, including the interesting insights into voodoo.

At it's heart, this is a story of family and poverty. Fabiola's extended family is not particularly nice, but they are multifaceted, which I appreciate. Let it be noted that this is a heavy, often depressing read, full of characters who make difficult and often poor decisions.

I do not love the plot, nor do I love anything about the conclusion to the story, and that has nothing to do with the fates of the characters. I guess that I hoped to see more growth in some of the characters than what I got, and that made the conclusion frustrating, unnecessarily tragic, and somewhat lacking, for me.

However, there's a sweet romance, that is both awkward and real, so bonus points for that.

Pages: 336

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a good story, particularly in terms of topic (immigration and migrant workers), time period (1930s) and diversity. I don't always love how it hits me over the head with ideas and lessons, though I'm aware that occurs more in middle grade stories.

It was a solid read, overall, but I just think the presentation could be better. I don't dislike it, by any means, but I also don't love it, when I hoped to, based on all the buzz and awards.

Pages: 304

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thoughtful and unsettling. I’m picky when it comes to memoirs, but I found this one to be interesting and worth my time. Just don’t expect it to be an easy read, since it's about a girl who survived a massacre. There is obviously violence and hardship, but there is also plenty to think about.

It’s an inside look at the life of a refugee, and it definitely reminded me how fortunate I am, when many others aren’t.

Pages: 304

The Gangster by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

The Italian American gang the Black Hand will attempt to kill President Teddy Roosevelt in 1905 and almost succeed.  387 pages.

Mr and Mrs. Doctor By Julie Ironuanya

In her debut novel Julie Iromuanya presents Ifi and Job, a Nigerian couple in an arranged marriage, who begin their lives together in Nebraska with a single, outrageous lie: that Job is a doctor, not a college dropout. Unwittingly, Ifi becomes his co-conspirator—that is until his first wife, Cheryl, whom he married for a green card years ago, reenters the picture and upsets Job's tenuous balancing act. The story is charming; it is funny, yet sad as these African immigrants seek to carve out a life for themselves in unfamiliar surroundings.  They, along with the reader, learn that people everywhere are not so very different when it gets down to it. 
288 pages

Homeland by John Jakes

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Pauli comes to America at age 14.  After a little time living with his uncle, he leaves to work with his artistic skills with his Kodak camera.  He films American history.  785 pages.

A Good American by Alex George

An immigrant saga, telling the family history of the Meisenheimers of Hanover, Germany who fled to America in 1904 when Jette fell in love with Frederick and became pregnant. They end up settling in Beatrice Missouri, a small town near Rocheport. The story continues through the decades, as told by their grandson, James, who is trying to make sense of his life and the colorful characters in his family.  At times contrived, unbelievable, melodramatic, funny and still very true to small town life and its mores.  The book has been popular with book clubs in Missouri.   381 pages.