What do you think?
Rate this book
The Book of Unknown Americans
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2014)A dazzling, heartbreaking page-turner destined for breakout status: a novel that gives voice to millions of Americans as it tells the story of the love between a Panamanian boy and a Mexican girl: teenagers living in an apartment block of immigrant families like their own.
After their daughter Maribel suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras leave México and come to America. But upon settling at Redwood Apartments, a two-story cinderblock complex just off a highway in Delaware, they discover that Maribel's recovery--the piece of the American Dream on which they've pinned all their hopes--will not be easy. Every task seems to confront them with language, racial, and cultural obstacles.
At Redwood also lives Mayor Toro, a high school sophomore whose family arrived from Panamá fifteen years ago. Mayor sees in Maribel something others do not: that beyond her lovely face, and beneath the damage she's sustained, is a gentle, funny, and wise spirit. But as the two grow closer, violence casts a shadow over all their futures in America.
Peopled with deeply sympathetic characters, this poignant yet unsentimental tale of young love tells a riveting story of unflinching honesty and humanity that offers a resonant new definition of what it means to be an American. An instant classic is born.
After their daughter Maribel suffers a near-fatal accident, the Riveras leave México and come to America. But upon settling at Redwood Apartments, a two-story cinderblock complex just off a highway in Delaware, they discover that Maribel's recovery--the piece of the American Dream on which they've pinned all their hopes--will not be easy. Every task seems to confront them with language, racial, and cultural obstacles.
At Redwood also lives Mayor Toro, a high school sophomore whose family arrived from Panamá fifteen years ago. Mayor sees in Maribel something others do not: that beyond her lovely face, and beneath the damage she's sustained, is a gentle, funny, and wise spirit. But as the two grow closer, violence casts a shadow over all their futures in America.
Peopled with deeply sympathetic characters, this poignant yet unsentimental tale of young love tells a riveting story of unflinching honesty and humanity that offers a resonant new definition of what it means to be an American. An instant classic is born.
286 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2014
1319 people are currently reading
74607 people want to read
About the author
Cristina Henríquez
7 books1,037 followersCristina Henríquez is the author of four books, including, most recently, The Great Divide, a novel about the building of the Panama Canal that explores those rarely acknowledged by history even as they carved out its course.
Her novel The Book of Unknown Americans was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014 and one of Amazon’s Top 10 Books of the Year. It was the Daily Beast Novel of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Book, an NPR Great Read, a Target Book of the Month selection, and was chosen one of the best books of the year by BookPage, Oprah.com, and School Library Journal. It was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Henriquez is also the author of The World In Half and Come Together, Fall Apart: A Novella and Stories.
Her work been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Real Simple, and more, as well as in the anthologies State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America and Thirty Ways of Looking at Hillary: Women Writers Reflect on the Candidate and What Her Campaign Meant.
She has been a guest on National Public Radio, and is a recipient of the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Award, a grant started by Sandra Cisneros in honor of her father.
Her novel The Book of Unknown Americans was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014 and one of Amazon’s Top 10 Books of the Year. It was the Daily Beast Novel of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Book, an NPR Great Read, a Target Book of the Month selection, and was chosen one of the best books of the year by BookPage, Oprah.com, and School Library Journal. It was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Henriquez is also the author of The World In Half and Come Together, Fall Apart: A Novella and Stories.
Her work been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Real Simple, and more, as well as in the anthologies State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America and Thirty Ways of Looking at Hillary: Women Writers Reflect on the Candidate and What Her Campaign Meant.
She has been a guest on National Public Radio, and is a recipient of the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Award, a grant started by Sandra Cisneros in honor of her father.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,553 reviews
December 9, 2013
What struck me most about this novel is the structure whose purpose becomes clear with the last chapter. It is quite interesting and poignant. This novel is a reminder of how everyone who comes to the United States brings a complicated storyw ith them. In The Book of Unknown Americans, immigrants from México, Venezuela, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, etc. live in an apartment complex in Delaware. Though they come from all over the Spanish speaking world, they have more in common than they do not and they form a community--something of a home away from home. Arturo and Alma Rivera have moved from Mexico so their daughter, Mirabel, who suffered an accident on Arturo's construction site, can get the help she needs.
As Arturo and Alma try to make sense of their new life, while keeping an unbearably close eye on their daughter, Maribel is befriended by Mayor Toro who lives with his parents in the complex. Maribel remarks, as their friendship deepens, that Mayor is the only one who sees her and believes she can do anything. Henriquez chronicles their friendship and budding romance with real tenderness and makes it seem like anything is possible with young love.
There are parts of the novel I wish were more fully fleshed out. Interspersed with the main story are testimonials from other residents in the apartment complex and I wanted to know more of their lives. I wanted them to have a more significant role in the story because they were so vividly drawn.
A lovely book, though.
As Arturo and Alma try to make sense of their new life, while keeping an unbearably close eye on their daughter, Maribel is befriended by Mayor Toro who lives with his parents in the complex. Maribel remarks, as their friendship deepens, that Mayor is the only one who sees her and believes she can do anything. Henriquez chronicles their friendship and budding romance with real tenderness and makes it seem like anything is possible with young love.
There are parts of the novel I wish were more fully fleshed out. Interspersed with the main story are testimonials from other residents in the apartment complex and I wanted to know more of their lives. I wanted them to have a more significant role in the story because they were so vividly drawn.
A lovely book, though.
July 6, 2014
Call me cold-hearted but I found this novel both overly simplistic and overly sentimental, with too few genuine characters and too many archetypes who say things to each other like, "Finding is for things that are lost. You don't need to find me, Mayor." Does anybody really talk like that? If the book's simplicity and sentimentality help its overall message -- hey, immigrants are people too! -- gain traction with large groups of readers in the States, great. But just because I sympathize with the author's mission doesn't make me a fan of her writing.
May 26, 2016
Maribel Rivera is a normal teenaged girl in Patzcuaro, Mexico when one day she goes with her mother to her father's work site and suffers a traumatic brain injury. No longer the prize of Patzcuaro, Maribel retreats into a shell, suffers headaches, and can not complete even the most basic school work. Her parents Alma and Arturo Rivera would do anything for their daughter, look up schools for special needs children in the United States, and leave the only life they knew behind and move to Wilmington, Delaware so Maribel can attend Evers School.
Alma and Arturo have a tough time adjusting to life as immigrants, the primary barrier that they have difficulties learning English. One of the reasons why they do not speak English is that they moved to the Kirkwood Apartments managed by Fito Angelino and all the tenants in the building are Hispanic. Not surprisingly, the primary language of communication is Spanish because it gives the immigrants a safety net where they can be themselves as opposed to the lower class people they now are in the world at large.
The first friends the Riveras meet are the Toro family, who live in the same building. Henriquez tells half the chapters from the point of view of Alma and the other half from the point of view of Mayor Toro, a boy the same age as Maribel who falls for her immediately. While Alma is expectantly overprotective of Maribel, Mayor gets her to communicate and becomes the only person who understands her. As the friendship develops, so does the relationship between the Rivera and Toro families.
Interspersed in the novel are testimonials from all the immigrant residents of the Kirkwood Apartments where the Rivera and Toro families live. All of these people came to the United States seeking a better way of life, and even though they might not have gained the life they originally sought out, for the most part the immigrants are happy they came. The primary example is the Toro family who fled Panama during Noriega's regime and has been living in Delaware for 15 years. The father Rafael works as a line cook in a restaurant, the family becomes US citizens, the older son Enrique receives a soccer scholarship to the University of Maryland, and the family buys a car. They feel that even though Panama has gotten better, they would not have had the same opportunities there as they would have had living in the United States. This sentiment is shared by the other people in their building, the Riveras included.
The people in this book are the Unknown Americans- a photographer, a small business owner, an army vet, a line cook, parents seeking better lives for themselves and their children. Over the course of the book even Maribel improves in both her school work and long term outlook on life while Alma with the help of Celia Rivera learns rudimentary English. Henriquez paints the United States as still being the land of opportunity for legal immigrants in a post September 11 America.
Of course there are still those white supremacists who wish all the immigrants regardless of status would go back where they come from. Henriquez touches on this as a subplot in the novel with the character of Garrett Miller. At first it appeared that he only desired to bully Maribel and Mayor but his character goes much deeper than that. Despite people like the Millers, however, the immigrants in this book appear to enjoy their day to day life as Americans.
I found The Book of Unknown Americans to be from a unique viewpoint. Rather than simply telling a coming of age story of Maribel, Henriquez weaves together the story of many immigrants' experiences. I enjoyed the story of the Riveras and the Toros as well as the other people in the building. I would recommend this to people looking for a short yet poignant read.
Alma and Arturo have a tough time adjusting to life as immigrants, the primary barrier that they have difficulties learning English. One of the reasons why they do not speak English is that they moved to the Kirkwood Apartments managed by Fito Angelino and all the tenants in the building are Hispanic. Not surprisingly, the primary language of communication is Spanish because it gives the immigrants a safety net where they can be themselves as opposed to the lower class people they now are in the world at large.
The first friends the Riveras meet are the Toro family, who live in the same building. Henriquez tells half the chapters from the point of view of Alma and the other half from the point of view of Mayor Toro, a boy the same age as Maribel who falls for her immediately. While Alma is expectantly overprotective of Maribel, Mayor gets her to communicate and becomes the only person who understands her. As the friendship develops, so does the relationship between the Rivera and Toro families.
Interspersed in the novel are testimonials from all the immigrant residents of the Kirkwood Apartments where the Rivera and Toro families live. All of these people came to the United States seeking a better way of life, and even though they might not have gained the life they originally sought out, for the most part the immigrants are happy they came. The primary example is the Toro family who fled Panama during Noriega's regime and has been living in Delaware for 15 years. The father Rafael works as a line cook in a restaurant, the family becomes US citizens, the older son Enrique receives a soccer scholarship to the University of Maryland, and the family buys a car. They feel that even though Panama has gotten better, they would not have had the same opportunities there as they would have had living in the United States. This sentiment is shared by the other people in their building, the Riveras included.
The people in this book are the Unknown Americans- a photographer, a small business owner, an army vet, a line cook, parents seeking better lives for themselves and their children. Over the course of the book even Maribel improves in both her school work and long term outlook on life while Alma with the help of Celia Rivera learns rudimentary English. Henriquez paints the United States as still being the land of opportunity for legal immigrants in a post September 11 America.
Of course there are still those white supremacists who wish all the immigrants regardless of status would go back where they come from. Henriquez touches on this as a subplot in the novel with the character of Garrett Miller. At first it appeared that he only desired to bully Maribel and Mayor but his character goes much deeper than that. Despite people like the Millers, however, the immigrants in this book appear to enjoy their day to day life as Americans.
I found The Book of Unknown Americans to be from a unique viewpoint. Rather than simply telling a coming of age story of Maribel, Henriquez weaves together the story of many immigrants' experiences. I enjoyed the story of the Riveras and the Toros as well as the other people in the building. I would recommend this to people looking for a short yet poignant read.
July 21, 2014
According to our government, every American who earns $50,000 a year contributes $43.78 to welfare and food stamps. Many Americans resent this deeply. Many are very very committed to being sure that no one "gets away" with this $43.78, especially anyone who is here from South of the Border.
"Those people….."
All Americans should read this book about "those people." It presents a series of interconnected stories about a family who came to the U.S. to get services for their injured child, a family who came because of violence in their home town, a woman who came because she loves movies and will never be able to be a star at home, a man who sends money for his sons to go to school. Some are "legal." Some are not. Some are from Mexico, some from Guatemala, some from Panama…the people commonly lumped together as a single, uniform group.
Those people.
Their stories are as varied as those of any group of people who operate on the hope that things will get better…if not for them, then for their children.
At the core of this books is a love story, a tender heart breaking love story that makes all of the other stories even more real.
This is a wonderful book.
"Those people….."
All Americans should read this book about "those people." It presents a series of interconnected stories about a family who came to the U.S. to get services for their injured child, a family who came because of violence in their home town, a woman who came because she loves movies and will never be able to be a star at home, a man who sends money for his sons to go to school. Some are "legal." Some are not. Some are from Mexico, some from Guatemala, some from Panama…the people commonly lumped together as a single, uniform group.
Those people.
Their stories are as varied as those of any group of people who operate on the hope that things will get better…if not for them, then for their children.
At the core of this books is a love story, a tender heart breaking love story that makes all of the other stories even more real.
This is a wonderful book.
October 12, 2016
The Book of Unknown Americans by Christina Henriquez is a 2014 Knopf publication.
I’ve been looking to expand my reading repertoire lately, so while browsing through the literary offerings, I came across this book. Checking this book out is like doing a 180 for me as I usually stick pretty close to my preferred genres.
But, something about it spoke to me and so I decided to give it a try.
So often we hear about laws, and issues, and the numbers surrounding immigration without stopping to consider the human element.
This book puts names with faces, and finally humanizes the population of people who come to this country for various reasons, hoping for a better way of life.
When Maribel Riveras suffers a traumatic brain injury, her family moves to America to enroll her in a special school in hopes she will eventually regain all she lost in the accident.
Fifteen year old Mayor Toro has lived in America his entire life, but his family is from Panama. He and Maribel strikes up a friendship which eventually turns into a sweet and tender love story while their parents struggle with the decision they made to make America their home.
While the topic of immigration is one that is sure to spark instant and heated debate, especially during an election year, this book is not a political novel, it is just a story that paints a vivid portrait of the way of life many immigrants face after moving to America.
There are inspired moments amid the bittersweet and poignant realities, and will really make you stop and consider things from an entirely different perspective.
I admired the families that were represented in this story, and recognized in them the same qualities as most Americans possess. They worked hard to provide for their families, they had hopes and dreams, went through good times and bad, but mostly they wanted to give their children a better way of life, something which I think we all strive for.
The love story between Maribel and Mayor is especially touching and despite the animosity and stubbornness, his father exhibited, Mayor followed his heart, and his attention to Maribel was what brought about the biggest improvements for her.
Although the story was not necessarily one that left me feeling upbeat or all that hopeful in the end, it did enlighten me, and is very thought provoking.
I can see why this story as garnered such critical acclaim and I have to say I am pleased I took a chance on it.
Overall- 4 stars
I’ve been looking to expand my reading repertoire lately, so while browsing through the literary offerings, I came across this book. Checking this book out is like doing a 180 for me as I usually stick pretty close to my preferred genres.
But, something about it spoke to me and so I decided to give it a try.
So often we hear about laws, and issues, and the numbers surrounding immigration without stopping to consider the human element.
This book puts names with faces, and finally humanizes the population of people who come to this country for various reasons, hoping for a better way of life.
When Maribel Riveras suffers a traumatic brain injury, her family moves to America to enroll her in a special school in hopes she will eventually regain all she lost in the accident.
Fifteen year old Mayor Toro has lived in America his entire life, but his family is from Panama. He and Maribel strikes up a friendship which eventually turns into a sweet and tender love story while their parents struggle with the decision they made to make America their home.
While the topic of immigration is one that is sure to spark instant and heated debate, especially during an election year, this book is not a political novel, it is just a story that paints a vivid portrait of the way of life many immigrants face after moving to America.
There are inspired moments amid the bittersweet and poignant realities, and will really make you stop and consider things from an entirely different perspective.
I admired the families that were represented in this story, and recognized in them the same qualities as most Americans possess. They worked hard to provide for their families, they had hopes and dreams, went through good times and bad, but mostly they wanted to give their children a better way of life, something which I think we all strive for.
The love story between Maribel and Mayor is especially touching and despite the animosity and stubbornness, his father exhibited, Mayor followed his heart, and his attention to Maribel was what brought about the biggest improvements for her.
Although the story was not necessarily one that left me feeling upbeat or all that hopeful in the end, it did enlighten me, and is very thought provoking.
I can see why this story as garnered such critical acclaim and I have to say I am pleased I took a chance on it.
Overall- 4 stars
August 20, 2014
This book could have been so much better than it was.
As it is, it's a trainwreck. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is simply because it's bizarrely readable even in spite of the very little substance there is at hand.
Where do I even begin with this books issues? The rhythm the book sets into -- Alma-narrated chapter, Mayor-narrated chapter, and brief bio of a tertiary character -- had potential. Yet the tertiary characters' chapters all read painfully alike, with seemingly the only thing changed the character's respective nationality. Mysteriously, Henriquez ignores all differences between each country; there's nothing particular Nicaraguan about Benny or Venezuelan about Quisqueya. This device was probably aiming to establish some sens of a pan-Latino identity, but you don't do that by ignoring difference -- you do that by embracing it.
Alma had potential as a character, but as a central character to the book, she is perhaps childishly optimistic and at first completely oblivious to the country she is living in. As a child of Latino immigrants and a friend to many Latino immigrants, this couldn't ring more false. Some of the cultural differences she is unaware of are frighteningly simple! Where does she shop for groceries? How does she spend money? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there are supermarkets with fixed prices in Mexico.
Similarly, Mayor is likeable -- but to use first person perspective with him simply did not work. Mayor's narration is actually very similar to what I'd expect someone his age and with his cultural background to sound like. The problem is that just isn't very interesting to read. The weird romantic twist his chapters took was creepy, not in the least because he seemed to be praying on a girl with a traumatic brain injury.
Worst of all, though was the bizarre and sudden melodramatic turn in the novel's final third. A more experienced writer could have handled this with grace, but here it simply comes across as needlessly preachy and unnecessarily condescending.
Is Henriquez talented? Yes. She has plenty of potential, but choosing such an ambitious project as her first novel -- a book that seemingly tries to express the voice of not just one Latin American nationality, but all Latinos -- is out of her grasp, and would likely be out of the grasp of even the most experienced Latino writers. Instead of a revelatory and fascinating look at Latinos in the U.S. today, we get a cloyingly sentimental and bland sketch of many characters, none of who seem very believable.
As it is, it's a trainwreck. The only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is simply because it's bizarrely readable even in spite of the very little substance there is at hand.
Where do I even begin with this books issues? The rhythm the book sets into -- Alma-narrated chapter, Mayor-narrated chapter, and brief bio of a tertiary character -- had potential. Yet the tertiary characters' chapters all read painfully alike, with seemingly the only thing changed the character's respective nationality. Mysteriously, Henriquez ignores all differences between each country; there's nothing particular Nicaraguan about Benny or Venezuelan about Quisqueya. This device was probably aiming to establish some sens of a pan-Latino identity, but you don't do that by ignoring difference -- you do that by embracing it.
Alma had potential as a character, but as a central character to the book, she is perhaps childishly optimistic and at first completely oblivious to the country she is living in. As a child of Latino immigrants and a friend to many Latino immigrants, this couldn't ring more false. Some of the cultural differences she is unaware of are frighteningly simple! Where does she shop for groceries? How does she spend money? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there are supermarkets with fixed prices in Mexico.
Similarly, Mayor is likeable -- but to use first person perspective with him simply did not work. Mayor's narration is actually very similar to what I'd expect someone his age and with his cultural background to sound like. The problem is that just isn't very interesting to read. The weird romantic twist his chapters took was creepy, not in the least because he seemed to be praying on a girl with a traumatic brain injury.
Worst of all, though was the bizarre and sudden melodramatic turn in the novel's final third. A more experienced writer could have handled this with grace, but here it simply comes across as needlessly preachy and unnecessarily condescending.
Is Henriquez talented? Yes. She has plenty of potential, but choosing such an ambitious project as her first novel -- a book that seemingly tries to express the voice of not just one Latin American nationality, but all Latinos -- is out of her grasp, and would likely be out of the grasp of even the most experienced Latino writers. Instead of a revelatory and fascinating look at Latinos in the U.S. today, we get a cloyingly sentimental and bland sketch of many characters, none of who seem very believable.
July 29, 2016
More than anything, I appreciate the fresh perspective and the eye-opening nature of this story. Immigration is a sensitive topic and a political platform in our country right now, there’s no denying that. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try and tackle that issue in this review. What I will say - I walked away from this story looking at things a little differently. It made me feel like the human aspect of the situation is too easily overlooked.
I think we forget that some of these immigrants are just people looking for a better life - a way to take care of their families. That’s the case for the Rivera’s, at least. They leave behind their extended family, their home, the husband’s business; all in an effort to get their daughter some help. They’re willing to sacrifice everything to give Maribel the opportunity to attend a special school. A school that could help her make progress after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it, what parents will do for their children?”
The family ends up in an apartment building in Delaware that’s solely occupied by hispanic immigrants. The author weaves in a few chapters from each of those immigrants, a backstory of sorts on how they ended up in America. I thought it was an interesting touch. There’s a complexity to her characters that not every author manages to pull off and it did what I assume she set out to do, added more heart to the story. I have to mention, I wasn’t Mayor’s biggest fan. I didn’t buy the love story aspect. A part of me felt like he was taking advantage of Maribel somehow. Did she truly understand what was happening?
What really struck me was how this family had to essentially let go of a part of their culture. Even simple things, like having to eat processed foods because they couldn’t afford to buy the things needed for the recipes they've been eating for their entire lives. This story also made me consider just how hard it would be to live somewhere where you couldn’t understand the language, making it almost impossible to communicate. Can you imagine? How would you ask for help? At one point, Alma gets lost and struggles to figure out how to get home. I was panicking for her.
The ending left me completely heartbroken. I honestly saw things going differently and I really wish they had. Overall, I found this to be a heartfelt and thought-provoking story. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book from this author.
I think we forget that some of these immigrants are just people looking for a better life - a way to take care of their families. That’s the case for the Rivera’s, at least. They leave behind their extended family, their home, the husband’s business; all in an effort to get their daughter some help. They’re willing to sacrifice everything to give Maribel the opportunity to attend a special school. A school that could help her make progress after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it, what parents will do for their children?”
The family ends up in an apartment building in Delaware that’s solely occupied by hispanic immigrants. The author weaves in a few chapters from each of those immigrants, a backstory of sorts on how they ended up in America. I thought it was an interesting touch. There’s a complexity to her characters that not every author manages to pull off and it did what I assume she set out to do, added more heart to the story. I have to mention, I wasn’t Mayor’s biggest fan. I didn’t buy the love story aspect. A part of me felt like he was taking advantage of Maribel somehow. Did she truly understand what was happening?
What really struck me was how this family had to essentially let go of a part of their culture. Even simple things, like having to eat processed foods because they couldn’t afford to buy the things needed for the recipes they've been eating for their entire lives. This story also made me consider just how hard it would be to live somewhere where you couldn’t understand the language, making it almost impossible to communicate. Can you imagine? How would you ask for help? At one point, Alma gets lost and struggles to figure out how to get home. I was panicking for her.
The ending left me completely heartbroken. I honestly saw things going differently and I really wish they had. Overall, I found this to be a heartfelt and thought-provoking story. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book from this author.
June 26, 2014
I’ve waited to post a review of this novel as I try to wrap my mind (and words) around why I liked it so much. This book wants to be a lot of things – love story, issue-oriented novel, independent essays – which should make it a mess, but somehow all work together to make a book that really touched my heart.
The story is told in alternating voices as we meet the residents of an apartment building in Delaware. All the residents are immigrants and all are Spanish-speaking despite their origins in multiple different countries. The bulk of the story, its heart really, is a love story between Panamanian Mayor, whose family has been in the U.S. since he was a few years old, and Maribel, a beautiful but brain injured girl whose family has made the journey from Mexico so she can have a better education. Their journey together, with all its ups and downs, challenges and epiphanies, is the stuff of great YA fiction.
But Henriquez does not stop with the love story. She delves deeper into the lives of their parents and their neighbors. We get to know these immigrants, some of them citizens, some of them illegal in their own voices. This is tricky as Henriquez inhabits over a dozen voices, men and women, young and old.
Obviously immigration is a very sensitive political subject and one that’s deeply personal as my father was born in Mexico and came to Chicago as a very young boy. Henriquez does an excellent job of presenting these characters and the issues they face without coming down hard on any side of the political debate. Her characters are simply human.
I was touched and moved by the small stories and the central families is this lovely novel.
This is the second Henriquez novel I’ve read, having previously enjoyed The World in Half. She is definitely an author to watch.
The story is told in alternating voices as we meet the residents of an apartment building in Delaware. All the residents are immigrants and all are Spanish-speaking despite their origins in multiple different countries. The bulk of the story, its heart really, is a love story between Panamanian Mayor, whose family has been in the U.S. since he was a few years old, and Maribel, a beautiful but brain injured girl whose family has made the journey from Mexico so she can have a better education. Their journey together, with all its ups and downs, challenges and epiphanies, is the stuff of great YA fiction.
But Henriquez does not stop with the love story. She delves deeper into the lives of their parents and their neighbors. We get to know these immigrants, some of them citizens, some of them illegal in their own voices. This is tricky as Henriquez inhabits over a dozen voices, men and women, young and old.
Obviously immigration is a very sensitive political subject and one that’s deeply personal as my father was born in Mexico and came to Chicago as a very young boy. Henriquez does an excellent job of presenting these characters and the issues they face without coming down hard on any side of the political debate. Her characters are simply human.
"I felt the way I often felt in this country -- simultaneously conspicuous and invisible, like an oddity whom everyone noticed but chose to ignore."
“That first day, the words were merely sounds in the air, broken like shards of glass, beautiful from a certain angle and jagged from another."
"People do what they have to do in this life. We try to get from one end of it to the other with dignity and with honor. We do the best we can."
I was touched and moved by the small stories and the central families is this lovely novel.
This is the second Henriquez novel I’ve read, having previously enjoyed The World in Half. She is definitely an author to watch.
June 22, 2019
This is a quiet novel, powerful in its simplicity, it’s about the experience of coming to America and ultimately about love—between a man and a woman, parents for their children, community and country. This is not a dogmatic treatise on the immigrant debate nor does it romanticize or sentimentalize their lives, it’s about a journey ‘born of necessity or of longing.’
Told in alternating voices and providing insights into the immigrant experience, I found their stories genuinely moving. Perhaps because their chronicles are reminiscent of those of my parents and their friends, they reminded me why so many risk so much to come here. Their stories felt authentic and their feelings of not belonging, realistic.
One character sums it up as this…’People do what they have to in this life. We try to get from one end of it to the other with dignity and with honor. We do the best we can.’ And I believe this was as true for the pilgrims to the immigrants coming through Ellis Island and today joined by a chorus of Hispanic voices.
Told in alternating voices and providing insights into the immigrant experience, I found their stories genuinely moving. Perhaps because their chronicles are reminiscent of those of my parents and their friends, they reminded me why so many risk so much to come here. Their stories felt authentic and their feelings of not belonging, realistic.
One character sums it up as this…’People do what they have to in this life. We try to get from one end of it to the other with dignity and with honor. We do the best we can.’ And I believe this was as true for the pilgrims to the immigrants coming through Ellis Island and today joined by a chorus of Hispanic voices.
October 29, 2023
A moving and powerful novel about two Latinx families living in Delaware, one having immigrated for medical care and one for opportunity. I loved how Cristina Henríquez portrayed each character’s full humanity: their worries, their love for their close ones, their hopes and their dreams. The novel shows how these characters face racism and xenophobia, however, those elements of the story don’t overshadow each of the characters’ unique personalities and life stories. I was particularly moved by Henríquez’s writing. Her prose is concise yet conveys so much punch and emotion; even in the first 60 pages of the book I found myself getting emotional and occasionally near tears.
I think the story could have gone deeper in terms of character development. I wonder if there were some different choices with the plot if the novel could have felt even more epic. Still, an emotionally resonant novel that reminds you of every person’s humanity and care and struggle, especially those who are often marginalized and erased in society.
I think the story could have gone deeper in terms of character development. I wonder if there were some different choices with the plot if the novel could have felt even more epic. Still, an emotionally resonant novel that reminds you of every person’s humanity and care and struggle, especially those who are often marginalized and erased in society.
May 23, 2017
This book has been on my To-Read list forever, so I am glad I finally read it :)
This book is told through many points-of-view, but in the book they all end up overlapping somehow.
One family moves to the USA from Mexico after their daughter suffers a near-fatal accident. Their daughter ends up having a Traumatic Brain Injury. The family moves so she can go to one of the best special education schools. They settled down in the Redwood Apartments, a two-story cinderblock complex just off a highway in Delaware. This is where they experienced great friendship and great heartache.
The daughter, Maribel, becomes friends with Mayor Toro, who also lives in the Redwood Apartments. He is a high school sophomore whose family arrived from Panamá fifteen years ago. Mayor sees in Maribel something others do not: her personality and her potential.
This covers many issues that immigrants face and families with a child that has traumatic brain injury. I suggest this book to anyone that wants to learn and know what it is like to live in a completely new country as an immigrant.
This book is told through many points-of-view, but in the book they all end up overlapping somehow.
One family moves to the USA from Mexico after their daughter suffers a near-fatal accident. Their daughter ends up having a Traumatic Brain Injury. The family moves so she can go to one of the best special education schools. They settled down in the Redwood Apartments, a two-story cinderblock complex just off a highway in Delaware. This is where they experienced great friendship and great heartache.
The daughter, Maribel, becomes friends with Mayor Toro, who also lives in the Redwood Apartments. He is a high school sophomore whose family arrived from Panamá fifteen years ago. Mayor sees in Maribel something others do not: her personality and her potential.
This covers many issues that immigrants face and families with a child that has traumatic brain injury. I suggest this book to anyone that wants to learn and know what it is like to live in a completely new country as an immigrant.
July 14, 2019
[3.5 stars] I wish this had gone a bit deeper. I think the structure was unique but didn't necessarily add anything to the reading experience with the various one-off chapters of other character's stories. They were quite short and displayed the various experiences of immigrants, but didn't elevate the novel in any way. Each of their stories could have been its own novel, but within the framework of this novel they didn't work. I also felt that Mayor was a sympathetic, interesting characters but underdeveloped. Considering this novel isn't very long, Henriquez tries to write about so many experiences and from so many voices, that it drowns everything out a bit. Still, an engaging read that gives a real sense of being a foreigner in America, and all of the complications, frustrations and limitations that that can unfortunately bring—even after being granted citizenship.
April 4, 2017
This was such a lovely, unexpected read. Poignant & powerful, Henriquez's prose is hauntingly beautiful. A tale about guilt & love & forgiveness, I loved all of the characters, specifically Maribel & Mayor & the relationship that blooms between them. I really enjoyed all of the POVs & believed deeply in the Alma & Arturo standpoint & how much they sacrificed so their daughter could have a chance to start over again. This is a great example of what it means to truly heal after tragedy & how to let go of the pain that you endure of hating yourself/feeling guilty for so long. I would reread this in a heartbeat (after I dig through my TBR list a bit more). The only reason why I didn't give this the full 5* is because of the minor character's POVs; while they never became distracting, I do think they were short & would have liked them to have been more drawn out, to play a larger role with the MCs. Highly recommended!! I am so glad I found this through my GR friends- sometimes the best books are the ones that were never on your radar in the first place.
Read
August 13, 2014Another book I tore through in just a couple of sittings. Henriquez starts with what appears to be a simple love story between two teens and weaves in multiple stories of immigrants from all over Latin America. The result is a much larger love story, between the two teens' families and between the immigrants and the United States itself.
December 16, 2024
There is very little fiction covering the contemporary Latino immigrant experience so this book may have made the 2014 New York Times Notables List for its content. While the story is good, there is no subtelty. The author's purpose may be to show the goodness of the "unknown Americans", but the characters are not well developed and the details of their lives are not realistic.
Can it really be that a successful couple in Mexico who has researched US schools for special needs students, found a job near that school, figured out the visa system, and arranged an apartment has not prepared themselves for their trip with even a few phrases of English? When they moved their household in a truck, did they really have room to acquire a TV and a mattress along the way? Can a diner cook really support a family of four in a single household? These are only a few of the problems in realism with this book.
The author shows several instances when parents keep their children in the dark. Rafael was not direct in telling Major want he learned at school. Alma does not help Maribel understand the assault. At the end Alma leaves Maribel guessing about something significant and life changing for her about her father, which Maribel (probably because she was kept in the dark) had not even considered at that point; Rafael leaves his son guessing about Maribel's father for far too long.
A number of first person narratives are used, perhaps to fit the title, but they do not relate to the story. Space devoted to this would have been better used in developing the characters and showing perspective on the culture and the family dynamic.
There have been some excellent non-fiction narratives on the contemporary immigrant experience such as those in Matt Taibbi's The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap. There have been only a few other cuts at this material in fiction, most notable being The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I think that this book has been well received because there is a hunger for fiction relating the the Latino immigrant experience.
Can it really be that a successful couple in Mexico who has researched US schools for special needs students, found a job near that school, figured out the visa system, and arranged an apartment has not prepared themselves for their trip with even a few phrases of English? When they moved their household in a truck, did they really have room to acquire a TV and a mattress along the way? Can a diner cook really support a family of four in a single household? These are only a few of the problems in realism with this book.
The author shows several instances when parents keep their children in the dark. Rafael was not direct in telling Major want he learned at school. Alma does not help Maribel understand the assault. At the end Alma leaves Maribel guessing about something significant and life changing for her about her father, which Maribel (probably because she was kept in the dark) had not even considered at that point; Rafael leaves his son guessing about Maribel's father for far too long.
A number of first person narratives are used, perhaps to fit the title, but they do not relate to the story. Space devoted to this would have been better used in developing the characters and showing perspective on the culture and the family dynamic.
There have been some excellent non-fiction narratives on the contemporary immigrant experience such as those in Matt Taibbi's The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap. There have been only a few other cuts at this material in fiction, most notable being The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I think that this book has been well received because there is a hunger for fiction relating the the Latino immigrant experience.
September 28, 2019
'The Book of Unknown American,' by Cristina HenriQuez is a story about immigrants from Latin America. The heart of the story revolves around two families, the Riveras and the Toros. There are some side stories about other immigrants who live in the same apartment building with these two families. Some readers describe these side stories as being detractors and unnecessary to the story. I enjoyed them and thought they were an expansive breathing part of the novel. The lines from which the author draws the title of her book come from a secondary character in one of these side stories. Macho Alvarez says, "I came from Mexico, but there's a lot of people here who, when they hear that, they think I crawled out of hell. They hear "Mexico," and they think, bad, devil." Micho, a photographer, goes on to complain about the prejudice he and others face in the US. He says, " I want them to see a guy who has just as much right to be here as they do, or a guy who works hard, or a guy who loves his family, or a guy who's just trying to do the right things. I wish just one of those people, just one, would actually talk to me, talk to my friends, man. And yes, you can talk to us in English. I know English better than you, I bet. But none of them even want to try. We're the unknown Americans, the ones no one even wants to know, because they've been told they're supposed to be scared of us and because maybe if they did take the time to get to know us, they might realize we're not that bad, maybe even that we're a lot like them. And who would they hate then?"
The beating heart of 'The Book of Unknown Americans,' is the Rivera and Toro families. Arturo and Alma Rivera lived in Mexico with their daughter, Maribel. When Maribel suffers a brain injury in an accident, they decide to search for a school for her in the US where she can get better. They're on a waiting list for a year before Arturo gets a work visa. The work visa that Arturo finally gets is for work on a mushroom farm. He works in the dark picking mushrooms for ten hours without eating or drinking all day. In Mexico he had owned his construction business. Alma implores him to tell them about his qualifications, but Arturo says, "I'm not going to make waves, Alma. I'm happy just to have a job."
Rafael and Celia are from Panama and have two sons, Enrique and Mayor. They fled to the US to escape the violence of invasion. Rafael says of his home in Panama, "sometimes I think I would rather just remember it in my head, all those streets and places I loved. The way it smelled of car exhaust and sweet fruit. The thickness of the heat. The sound of dogs barking in alleyways. That's the Panama I want to hold on to. Because a place can do many things against you, and if it's your home or if it was your home at one time, you still love it. That's how it works."
Rafael is a line cook and he believes he should be the provider for his family. He does not want Celia to go to work. One criticism of the story is that a family of four could never make it on the lone salary of a line cook. That may be valid, not sure, but for me, it did not reduce the author's credibility. The interactions and family dynamics were credibly written.
Mayor Toro develops a friendship with Maribel Rivera. Maribel is a beautiful young girl, who is different, more than a little distracted and distant. Things have to be repeated to her several times. Her family has not heard her laugh in the longest time. Mayor has trouble with bullies at school, one bully in particular, Garrett Miller. Of Miller, Mayor says, "he had basically made picking on me last year his special project." Garrett has already spent time in juvenile detention for bearing up another boy and leaving him with two broken arms. Although Garrett is only in a handful of scenes, his menacing presence is powerful. Mayor is attracted to Maribel. Maribel says, "he's the only one who sees me."
Because my daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, is Hispanic, from Tijuana, Mexico, this story rang true for me. Elizabeth's manager at the cell phone company where she worked here in Wilkesboro, NC told her that any children she and my son had would be cursed because they were mixing the races. When their son, my grandson, Ethan, was born in 2011, he was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome at two months of age. Elizabeth was so upset, crying and depressed because all she could hear in her head were the prejudiced words of her old manager. Ethan has turned out to be a blessing to our entire family, the sweetest little boy that has ever graced mine and my husband's lives. Words can be so cruel. Why do we hurt each other that way?
In the novel, an unexpected climax puts everything into perspective. The author shows the beauty of a life, and how we miss that daily. I found the ending of this story achingly beautiful. This book is a tender, little jewel.
The beating heart of 'The Book of Unknown Americans,' is the Rivera and Toro families. Arturo and Alma Rivera lived in Mexico with their daughter, Maribel. When Maribel suffers a brain injury in an accident, they decide to search for a school for her in the US where she can get better. They're on a waiting list for a year before Arturo gets a work visa. The work visa that Arturo finally gets is for work on a mushroom farm. He works in the dark picking mushrooms for ten hours without eating or drinking all day. In Mexico he had owned his construction business. Alma implores him to tell them about his qualifications, but Arturo says, "I'm not going to make waves, Alma. I'm happy just to have a job."
Rafael and Celia are from Panama and have two sons, Enrique and Mayor. They fled to the US to escape the violence of invasion. Rafael says of his home in Panama, "sometimes I think I would rather just remember it in my head, all those streets and places I loved. The way it smelled of car exhaust and sweet fruit. The thickness of the heat. The sound of dogs barking in alleyways. That's the Panama I want to hold on to. Because a place can do many things against you, and if it's your home or if it was your home at one time, you still love it. That's how it works."
Rafael is a line cook and he believes he should be the provider for his family. He does not want Celia to go to work. One criticism of the story is that a family of four could never make it on the lone salary of a line cook. That may be valid, not sure, but for me, it did not reduce the author's credibility. The interactions and family dynamics were credibly written.
Mayor Toro develops a friendship with Maribel Rivera. Maribel is a beautiful young girl, who is different, more than a little distracted and distant. Things have to be repeated to her several times. Her family has not heard her laugh in the longest time. Mayor has trouble with bullies at school, one bully in particular, Garrett Miller. Of Miller, Mayor says, "he had basically made picking on me last year his special project." Garrett has already spent time in juvenile detention for bearing up another boy and leaving him with two broken arms. Although Garrett is only in a handful of scenes, his menacing presence is powerful. Mayor is attracted to Maribel. Maribel says, "he's the only one who sees me."
Because my daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, is Hispanic, from Tijuana, Mexico, this story rang true for me. Elizabeth's manager at the cell phone company where she worked here in Wilkesboro, NC told her that any children she and my son had would be cursed because they were mixing the races. When their son, my grandson, Ethan, was born in 2011, he was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome at two months of age. Elizabeth was so upset, crying and depressed because all she could hear in her head were the prejudiced words of her old manager. Ethan has turned out to be a blessing to our entire family, the sweetest little boy that has ever graced mine and my husband's lives. Words can be so cruel. Why do we hurt each other that way?
In the novel, an unexpected climax puts everything into perspective. The author shows the beauty of a life, and how we miss that daily. I found the ending of this story achingly beautiful. This book is a tender, little jewel.
June 18, 2014
3.5 The immigrant debate and the need for immigrant reform is an issue that has been the forefront of the news in The United States for a number of months. I am not going to give my own opinion on this debate, only mention it as it refers to the timeliness of this novel.
The book mostly centers on two families, one who come to the US from Panama and the devastation wrought by the invasion of the US in 1989 and the other family who come from Mexico in order to get the help and schooling their brain damaged daughter needs, following a horrible accident. These families settle, with other families from many different counties, in an apartment building in Delaware. There they try to make friends and a community with others like themselves.
The author does a wonderful job highlighting the difficulties of these immigrants, who when first arriving speak no English and must trust in those said to be helping them. They are also notoriously easy to being taken advantage of, as many seem willing to do. The price of things are often a shock, the food so different from what they are used to, the work they are given and the salary they make is below par, to say the least. They are always a moment away from disaster, financially and emotionally.
This novel gives one a great deal to think about, an opportunity to experience the many different ways these new immigrants try to fit in, how desperately they want to be considered Americans.
The romance between the one family's daughter and the son of the other, is almost too sweet, but maybe given the circumstances, understandable. It is a romance that will cause disaster, and a profound change in circumstance. I would have liked to have seen and felt more tension and depth, but despite that this is a worthy, and as mentioned previously, a timely read. Many other characters tell their stories in this novel, so one does get a cross section of many different stories and the many different reasons they come to the US.
ARC from the publisher.
The book mostly centers on two families, one who come to the US from Panama and the devastation wrought by the invasion of the US in 1989 and the other family who come from Mexico in order to get the help and schooling their brain damaged daughter needs, following a horrible accident. These families settle, with other families from many different counties, in an apartment building in Delaware. There they try to make friends and a community with others like themselves.
The author does a wonderful job highlighting the difficulties of these immigrants, who when first arriving speak no English and must trust in those said to be helping them. They are also notoriously easy to being taken advantage of, as many seem willing to do. The price of things are often a shock, the food so different from what they are used to, the work they are given and the salary they make is below par, to say the least. They are always a moment away from disaster, financially and emotionally.
This novel gives one a great deal to think about, an opportunity to experience the many different ways these new immigrants try to fit in, how desperately they want to be considered Americans.
The romance between the one family's daughter and the son of the other, is almost too sweet, but maybe given the circumstances, understandable. It is a romance that will cause disaster, and a profound change in circumstance. I would have liked to have seen and felt more tension and depth, but despite that this is a worthy, and as mentioned previously, a timely read. Many other characters tell their stories in this novel, so one does get a cross section of many different stories and the many different reasons they come to the US.
ARC from the publisher.
February 7, 2016
Updated to 4 stars. I didn't want this book to end. I wanted to follow the characters and see where the rest of their lives took them. I recommend this one.
December 12, 2014
“We’re the unknown Americans, the ones no one even wants to know, because they’ve been told they’re supposed to be scared of us and because maybe if they did take the time to get to know us, they might realize that we’re not that bad, maybe even that we’re a lot like them. And who would they hate then?”
Cristina Henriquez writes a mesmerizing tale of Latina immigrants. Some are legal; some have no papers. They are from: Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Paraguay. The focus of the story is on a family who are legal. They decide to come to America because of the special schools for academically challenged children. They have a daughter who suffered brain injury and needs special attention. They come to the United States with very little. They speak no English. Henriquez does a great job of showing the reader how intimidating and scary it is to come here.
Different characters in the novel tell the story. Each chapter is from a character’s point of view. I enjoyed this manner of story telling. It kept the story flowing and provided a way to give the reader different migration stories.
I found it enlightening; especially with the Immigration Reform Act that Obama is trying to pass. It’s a tough subject. Henriquez shows how isolated immigrants feel; she shows the confusion and frustration of trying to exist.
There’s a teenage love story thrown in which makes the novel readable and not totally desolate.
Cristina Henriquez writes a mesmerizing tale of Latina immigrants. Some are legal; some have no papers. They are from: Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Paraguay. The focus of the story is on a family who are legal. They decide to come to America because of the special schools for academically challenged children. They have a daughter who suffered brain injury and needs special attention. They come to the United States with very little. They speak no English. Henriquez does a great job of showing the reader how intimidating and scary it is to come here.
Different characters in the novel tell the story. Each chapter is from a character’s point of view. I enjoyed this manner of story telling. It kept the story flowing and provided a way to give the reader different migration stories.
I found it enlightening; especially with the Immigration Reform Act that Obama is trying to pass. It’s a tough subject. Henriquez shows how isolated immigrants feel; she shows the confusion and frustration of trying to exist.
There’s a teenage love story thrown in which makes the novel readable and not totally desolate.
August 8, 2024
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez novel that explores the lives of Latin American immigrants in the United States around 2010. Set in a Delaware apartment complex with a family who immigrates to the US due to seeking better medical care and education for their teenage daughter who was in a bad accident resulting in a TBI. There are multiple stories weaved into this one. Each offering their own unique view of the challenges of immigrant life pursuing the American dream. The story revolves primarily around Maribel Rivera from Mexico and Mayor Toro from Panama and their families.
The author addresses various social issues of the times such as xenophobia, cultural clashes, racism and the economic hardships faced by immigrants. This well researched book with well developed characters who show the importance of love, family and strength.
The author addresses various social issues of the times such as xenophobia, cultural clashes, racism and the economic hardships faced by immigrants. This well researched book with well developed characters who show the importance of love, family and strength.
May 4, 2015
RE-READING:
1) I listened to it the first time; this time I'll read the book.
2) This is our Skype bookclub pick for this month
3) I'll meet the author in Vermont in May
FINISHED 1st time: 2/12/15:
I finished this book and wrote my review on my mobile device. Unfortunately, that device has gone the way of the dinosaur and my notes didn't make it to the cloud in time.
For now:
I loved this novel of various immigrants from all over Latin America living in an apartment complex in Delaware. Immigration is a subject I'm very passionate about.
Some of the characters are visited repeatedly and we get to know them very well. A few are single, brief encounters. One of those single stories elevated this to a 5-star novel for me. It should be required reading for all.
I will reread this one soon and perhaps update my review. Meanwhile: highly recommended!
One more thought: I read this while enjoying the lovely people and scenery of Mexico. At one point, we met a guy who spoke flawless English. I asked him where he learned to speak. Over the course of the evening I found out that he had been born in Mexico, but moved with his parents to Texas when he was still a baby. Three years ago, as a teenager (17-18?), he was sent back to Mexico. All of his siblings, who were born in the US, were allowed to stay, but he was not. He hasn't seen his mom, dad, or siblings since then! The sadness that emanated from him by the time he had shared this was heartbreaking. I wish I could help him somehow. How does this happen? It is so wrong.
1) I listened to it the first time; this time I'll read the book.
2) This is our Skype bookclub pick for this month
3) I'll meet the author in Vermont in May
FINISHED 1st time: 2/12/15:
I finished this book and wrote my review on my mobile device. Unfortunately, that device has gone the way of the dinosaur and my notes didn't make it to the cloud in time.
For now:
I loved this novel of various immigrants from all over Latin America living in an apartment complex in Delaware. Immigration is a subject I'm very passionate about.
Some of the characters are visited repeatedly and we get to know them very well. A few are single, brief encounters. One of those single stories elevated this to a 5-star novel for me. It should be required reading for all.
I will reread this one soon and perhaps update my review. Meanwhile: highly recommended!
One more thought: I read this while enjoying the lovely people and scenery of Mexico. At one point, we met a guy who spoke flawless English. I asked him where he learned to speak. Over the course of the evening I found out that he had been born in Mexico, but moved with his parents to Texas when he was still a baby. Three years ago, as a teenager (17-18?), he was sent back to Mexico. All of his siblings, who were born in the US, were allowed to stay, but he was not. He hasn't seen his mom, dad, or siblings since then! The sadness that emanated from him by the time he had shared this was heartbreaking. I wish I could help him somehow. How does this happen? It is so wrong.
March 19, 2024
A mother and father believe coming to America will give their brain damaged 15-year-old daughter a chance to regain the glow in her eyes. Even with dire situations to overcome, they find a home in Delaware within a building filled with other "south of the border" immigrants.
February 7, 2019
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
~POV: Multiple points of view from immigrats living in Delaware
We have some re-occuring POVs from the Main Characters intertwined with vignettes from some of the side characters. I loved all the MCs and their stories felt incredibly real and raw. I felt like these could have been real people and it made the stories much more gripping as well.
~Main Theme: Immigration~
Arturo and his family move to America in order for his daughter Maribel to attend a special needs school. She was mentally injured in accident and changed completely from a vibrant full of energy girl to someone who barely speaks and has an attention deficit. They decide the best way to encourage recovery is to attend an American school, hoping that in the process they will get their old daughter back. There they meet and befriend different families of immigrants from Panama, Mexico, Guatemala who have their own interesting backstories and reasons for imigrating. The majority struggle with low-paid jobs and not ideal financial situations.
I guess this spoke even more to me due to being an immigrant myself (and my family as well actually) so I know what it is like to be a stranger in a country very different to your own. Originally from Eastern Europe I ended up living in both England and Spain so I felt their pain in remembering with nostalgia their home country as well as the racism towards you that seems unavoidable wherever you go.
~Was I attached to the characters: Yes
Very much so. Arturo and Alma´s story went straight to my heart, their pain was raw and visceral. I wish I could say this was a light hearted novel just so that all of them end up happy but this was nothing like that. It takes you places you didn´t really expect and the topics it covers are not light but are necessary. That doesn´t mean eveything is bleak! It has some powerful tender moments that will make you smile and warm your heart and soul but just as life is, it´s not all there is.
~Romance: Yes
Loved the romance beteen Mayor and Maribel. They saw each other for who they really were and were incredibly sweet and I wish their parents could have seen just how much they needed and helped one another. Even the older couples were interesting to read about though it included a lot of sexism coming from the culture seeping through in their relationship.
~Would I recommend it? Yes
This is such an important novel for anyone who wants to hear about an imigrant´s experience and what it feels like to struggle, to fight in a strange country. It will make you either fall in love with it or be crushed by it. Now I am going to wrap myself in a blanket and imagine all these characters getting happy endings xD
~POV: Multiple points of view from immigrats living in Delaware
We have some re-occuring POVs from the Main Characters intertwined with vignettes from some of the side characters. I loved all the MCs and their stories felt incredibly real and raw. I felt like these could have been real people and it made the stories much more gripping as well.
~Main Theme: Immigration~
Arturo and his family move to America in order for his daughter Maribel to attend a special needs school. She was mentally injured in accident and changed completely from a vibrant full of energy girl to someone who barely speaks and has an attention deficit. They decide the best way to encourage recovery is to attend an American school, hoping that in the process they will get their old daughter back. There they meet and befriend different families of immigrants from Panama, Mexico, Guatemala who have their own interesting backstories and reasons for imigrating. The majority struggle with low-paid jobs and not ideal financial situations.
I guess this spoke even more to me due to being an immigrant myself (and my family as well actually) so I know what it is like to be a stranger in a country very different to your own. Originally from Eastern Europe I ended up living in both England and Spain so I felt their pain in remembering with nostalgia their home country as well as the racism towards you that seems unavoidable wherever you go.
~Was I attached to the characters: Yes
Very much so. Arturo and Alma´s story went straight to my heart, their pain was raw and visceral. I wish I could say this was a light hearted novel just so that all of them end up happy but this was nothing like that. It takes you places you didn´t really expect and the topics it covers are not light but are necessary. That doesn´t mean eveything is bleak! It has some powerful tender moments that will make you smile and warm your heart and soul but just as life is, it´s not all there is.
~Romance: Yes
Loved the romance beteen Mayor and Maribel. They saw each other for who they really were and were incredibly sweet and I wish their parents could have seen just how much they needed and helped one another. Even the older couples were interesting to read about though it included a lot of sexism coming from the culture seeping through in their relationship.
~Would I recommend it? Yes
This is such an important novel for anyone who wants to hear about an imigrant´s experience and what it feels like to struggle, to fight in a strange country. It will make you either fall in love with it or be crushed by it. Now I am going to wrap myself in a blanket and imagine all these characters getting happy endings xD
February 4, 2019
I wanted to love this book more than I did.
It’s the story of the Rivera family, who come to the US from Mexico, in hopes of finding some better treatment for their teenage daughter, Maribel, who suffered a traumatic brain injury after an accident. It’s also the story of the Toro family from Panama, who came to America to seek a better life. When Mayor Toro and Maribel Rivera meet and start a relationship, they set in motion events that will greatly impact both families.
This book is wonderful in describing the immigrant experience, especially how bewildering America can seem to someone who has just arrived from another country, in particular if they don’t speak English.
Interspersed amid the main story are the stories of the other residents in the apartment building, all from Latin American countries. Although interesting, I felt that they interrupted my focus on the main story. At times I had trouble keeping the characters straight, because all of a sudden I had to focus on a seemingly minor character and I would lose the thread of the story. Eventually I got used to it, but it took me a while to get into the book.
Although the main characters were the Rivera and Toro families, I didn’t feel they were fully formed as characters. They just felt flat to me, which may be another reason why I had trouble connecting with them and keeping them straight. It’s also interesting that you get everyone’s point of view but Maribel’s. Although somewhat brain damaged, it would have been fascinating to see how she viewed events, given how much the story hinges on her.
I will say that the book is beautifully written. At times the prose is just lyrical. But that said, I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the story. It’s never a good sign when you are relieved that you have finally finished a book.
It’s just the type of book that I should have loved, and I’m disappointed that I didn’t.
It’s the story of the Rivera family, who come to the US from Mexico, in hopes of finding some better treatment for their teenage daughter, Maribel, who suffered a traumatic brain injury after an accident. It’s also the story of the Toro family from Panama, who came to America to seek a better life. When Mayor Toro and Maribel Rivera meet and start a relationship, they set in motion events that will greatly impact both families.
This book is wonderful in describing the immigrant experience, especially how bewildering America can seem to someone who has just arrived from another country, in particular if they don’t speak English.
Interspersed amid the main story are the stories of the other residents in the apartment building, all from Latin American countries. Although interesting, I felt that they interrupted my focus on the main story. At times I had trouble keeping the characters straight, because all of a sudden I had to focus on a seemingly minor character and I would lose the thread of the story. Eventually I got used to it, but it took me a while to get into the book.
Although the main characters were the Rivera and Toro families, I didn’t feel they were fully formed as characters. They just felt flat to me, which may be another reason why I had trouble connecting with them and keeping them straight. It’s also interesting that you get everyone’s point of view but Maribel’s. Although somewhat brain damaged, it would have been fascinating to see how she viewed events, given how much the story hinges on her.
I will say that the book is beautifully written. At times the prose is just lyrical. But that said, I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the story. It’s never a good sign when you are relieved that you have finally finished a book.
It’s just the type of book that I should have loved, and I’m disappointed that I didn’t.
July 25, 2014
This story recounts the immigrant experience of a vast array of Latinos on the eastern central coast of America, in Delaware. It moves in for close-ups of two families in particular, one Panamanian and one Mexican. Both families are legal immigrants, one coming to the United States for medical care, the other for opportunity.
Christina Henriquez manages to make the experiences of these two families ring true and universal. Especially interesting was the voice of Mayor Toro, teenager and younger brother to a high school soccer star. He had a lot to live up to, and his vulnerability was everywhere apparent. His interest in a beautiful but brain-damaged young woman, Maribel, in a nearby apartment led to unforeseen and tragic consequences. The chain of events had a kind of logic to them that began in ignorance and fear, and were sustained by the well-known uncommunicativeness of teenagers.
Henriquez’ use of first-person narration, changing the ‘voice’ from one chapter to another, gave the piece immediacy and truthfulness. Often we can hear an individual thinking and speaking; the overlapping points of view give the story tension and the listener can see a crisis foreshadowed long before the conclusion is revealed. The final chapter is given finally to the father of Mexican family who reveals his pleasure in the struggle they have undergone, despite its many disappointments.
I listened to the audio of this book, performed by an array of narrators and produced by Random House Audio. I was offered this title by Random House in exchange for an honest review.
Christina Henriquez manages to make the experiences of these two families ring true and universal. Especially interesting was the voice of Mayor Toro, teenager and younger brother to a high school soccer star. He had a lot to live up to, and his vulnerability was everywhere apparent. His interest in a beautiful but brain-damaged young woman, Maribel, in a nearby apartment led to unforeseen and tragic consequences. The chain of events had a kind of logic to them that began in ignorance and fear, and were sustained by the well-known uncommunicativeness of teenagers.
Henriquez’ use of first-person narration, changing the ‘voice’ from one chapter to another, gave the piece immediacy and truthfulness. Often we can hear an individual thinking and speaking; the overlapping points of view give the story tension and the listener can see a crisis foreshadowed long before the conclusion is revealed. The final chapter is given finally to the father of Mexican family who reveals his pleasure in the struggle they have undergone, despite its many disappointments.
I listened to the audio of this book, performed by an array of narrators and produced by Random House Audio. I was offered this title by Random House in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2014
Alma and Arturo come from Mexico to Delaware, of all places, in the hopes that their brain-damaged daughter, Maribel, can get better help at a special needs school in the U.S. Their story is interspersed with testimonials from men and women from Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Panama and other places. All of the stories and vignettes combine into a whole that tells the tale of one immigrant community in America and the struggles they face trying to assimilate.
While enlightening and interesting, I wish the characters would have been more fully fleshed out - I didn't find it as affecting as it could have been. Still, a timely topic and a story that will keep you turning the pages.
While enlightening and interesting, I wish the characters would have been more fully fleshed out - I didn't find it as affecting as it could have been. Still, a timely topic and a story that will keep you turning the pages.
September 30, 2019
“I felt the way I often felt in this country - simultaneously conspicuous and invisible, like an oddity whom everyone noticed but chose to ignore”
I am somehow both fulfilled and empty after finishing the Book of Unknown Americans. It wasn't the easiest of reads, but I also could not stop. A peculiarity, a paradox that will stay with me for a long time.
As an immigrant myself (a word that is a stigma now more than it was 5 years ago, when this book was written, because the world is going backwards) I found an avalanche of things I related to. And last year when I read Girl in Translation I also found many things I could relate to. Even though I don't have anything in common with either culture. And just now I realized that it doesn't matter where we come from. We're all the same. It only matters where we come to.
“Maybe it’s the instinct of every immigrant, born of necessity or of longing: Someplace else will be better than here. And the condition: if only I can get to that place.”
The way this reads, a step above young adult, but still abrasive enough, and thought provoking in the best of literary ways - sucked me in completely. The in between chapters were heartbreaking, some even more the others, and added a beautiful collectiveness to the overall story.
“I know some people here think we’re trying to take over, but we just want to be a part of it. We want to have our stake. This is our home, too.”
Sometimes you have to uproot your life and start over. Everybody's reason is different, but all of them valid. Sometimes you stay rooted in new place, weathering all the storms, and sometimes you can't, and the wind blows you away. The Book of Unknown Americans is a beautiful mosaic of hard lives collected in 300+ pages. It's well worth the read.
My WEBSITE
My BOOKSTAGRAM
I am somehow both fulfilled and empty after finishing the Book of Unknown Americans. It wasn't the easiest of reads, but I also could not stop. A peculiarity, a paradox that will stay with me for a long time.
As an immigrant myself (a word that is a stigma now more than it was 5 years ago, when this book was written, because the world is going backwards) I found an avalanche of things I related to. And last year when I read Girl in Translation I also found many things I could relate to. Even though I don't have anything in common with either culture. And just now I realized that it doesn't matter where we come from. We're all the same. It only matters where we come to.
“Maybe it’s the instinct of every immigrant, born of necessity or of longing: Someplace else will be better than here. And the condition: if only I can get to that place.”
The way this reads, a step above young adult, but still abrasive enough, and thought provoking in the best of literary ways - sucked me in completely. The in between chapters were heartbreaking, some even more the others, and added a beautiful collectiveness to the overall story.
“I know some people here think we’re trying to take over, but we just want to be a part of it. We want to have our stake. This is our home, too.”
Sometimes you have to uproot your life and start over. Everybody's reason is different, but all of them valid. Sometimes you stay rooted in new place, weathering all the storms, and sometimes you can't, and the wind blows you away. The Book of Unknown Americans is a beautiful mosaic of hard lives collected in 300+ pages. It's well worth the read.
My WEBSITE
My BOOKSTAGRAM
July 29, 2014
This was a 4.5 read for me.
This book is definitely a contender for a top read for me.
Every now and then I read a book that just touches my heart. The Book of Unknown Americans is such a book. From the first pages I was captivated by the sustained voices of the characters written with such grace and dignity as I felt their humanity, hopefulness, and despair to do what they had to do ensure a better life for their children and often, times themselves. I so enjoyed how the author connects the reader to the characters.
The story opens with Arturo and Alma Rivera arriving in Newark, Delaware with their daughter, Maribel. The Riveras have sold their construction business, left their comfortable life in Mexico so that Maribel can get the education and treatment to hopefully recover as best as she can from the brain damage caused by an unfortunate accident. That first night in a bare-bones apartment that has been better days, Alma listens to her husband and daughter sleeping and thinks:
“The surge of possibility. The tug of doubt. Had we done the right thing coming here? Of course, I know the answer. We had done what we had to do.”
As we follow the Riveras journey, meeting the Toros and other Central and Latin American immigrants we learn of their plights realizing these are slices of life that happen universally. But because of who these immigrants are often times they are defined by preconceived notions not as individuals.
“I felt the way I often felt in this country-simultaneously conspicuous and invisible, like an oddity whom everyone noticed but chose to ignore.”
For me the interesting title is summed up by one of the characters.
“We’re the unknown Americans, the ones no one even wants to know, because maybe if they did take the time to get to know us, they might realize that we’re not that bad, maybe event that we’re a lot like them.”
Henriquez’s masterful story is compassionate, courageous and creative. The compelling characters encapsulate the undulating sweet-and-sour spectrum of life and will stay with you after turning the last page. I recommend this book to readers who are looking for an entertaining yet thought-provoking read.
This book is definitely a contender for a top read for me.
Every now and then I read a book that just touches my heart. The Book of Unknown Americans is such a book. From the first pages I was captivated by the sustained voices of the characters written with such grace and dignity as I felt their humanity, hopefulness, and despair to do what they had to do ensure a better life for their children and often, times themselves. I so enjoyed how the author connects the reader to the characters.
The story opens with Arturo and Alma Rivera arriving in Newark, Delaware with their daughter, Maribel. The Riveras have sold their construction business, left their comfortable life in Mexico so that Maribel can get the education and treatment to hopefully recover as best as she can from the brain damage caused by an unfortunate accident. That first night in a bare-bones apartment that has been better days, Alma listens to her husband and daughter sleeping and thinks:
“The surge of possibility. The tug of doubt. Had we done the right thing coming here? Of course, I know the answer. We had done what we had to do.”
As we follow the Riveras journey, meeting the Toros and other Central and Latin American immigrants we learn of their plights realizing these are slices of life that happen universally. But because of who these immigrants are often times they are defined by preconceived notions not as individuals.
“I felt the way I often felt in this country-simultaneously conspicuous and invisible, like an oddity whom everyone noticed but chose to ignore.”
For me the interesting title is summed up by one of the characters.
“We’re the unknown Americans, the ones no one even wants to know, because maybe if they did take the time to get to know us, they might realize that we’re not that bad, maybe event that we’re a lot like them.”
Henriquez’s masterful story is compassionate, courageous and creative. The compelling characters encapsulate the undulating sweet-and-sour spectrum of life and will stay with you after turning the last page. I recommend this book to readers who are looking for an entertaining yet thought-provoking read.
September 15, 2017
Good book about a family that moves to Delaware to seek better educational opportunities for their daughter who suffered a brain injury in Mexico. I did like that toward the end of the book, Maribel's parents finally talk about the accident that caused her brain damage. Both talked about guilt and how their daughter is "not like before."The book also contains testimonials of individuals from various countries who are looking for a better life. Although the testimonials are good, I felt they got in the way of learning more about the two families in this book. I wanted to learn more about Maribel and Mayor. They develop a romance that is sweet but ends in tragedy. Good book. I think it gives an honest portrayal of the immigrant experience. I really liked this quote from the book: “we're the unknown Americans, the ones no one even wants to know, because they've been told they're supposed to be scared of us and because maybe if they did take the time to get to know us, they might realize that we're not that bad, maybe even that we're a lot like them. And who would they hate then?”
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
October 28, 2024
با شخصیت های این کتاب زندگی کردم
شادی و غم شون رو با تموم وجود حس کردم
داستان کتاب خیلی ساده اس
اما خب مگه زیبایی در سادگی نیست؟
شادی و غم شون رو با تموم وجود حس کردم
داستان کتاب خیلی ساده اس
اما خب مگه زیبایی در سادگی نیست؟
Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,553 reviews