A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, NPR, Publishers Weekly, The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, She Reads, and more • One of President Obama's Favorite Books of the Year“Incredibly important, exquisitely written, harrowing. . .
Beautiful Country tells [Wang’s] story, well, quite beautifully. It is not only Wang’s mastery of the language that makes the story so compelling, but also the passionate yearning for empathy and understanding.
Beautiful Country is timely, yes, but more importantly it is a near-masterpiece that will make Qian Julie Wang a literary star.”
—Shondaland“For fans of
Angela's Ashes and
The Glass Castle.”—
Newsday
“[An] exquisitely crafted memoir.”—
Oprah Daily“A heartbreaking and intimate memoir... the storytelling from a young Qian’s perspective is riveting.”
—Politico“This unforgettable memoir is eye-opening to the nth degree.”—
Real Simple
“Elegantly affecting.”
—The Guardian
“A coming-of-age memoir about an undocumented Chinese girl growing up in New York's Chinatown, this lyrical book is full of small moments of joy, heartbreaking pain and the struggles of a family trying to survive in the shadows of society. It's a uniquely American story, and an essential one.”
—Good Housekeeping
“An astounding memoir from a debut author that you’re not going to want to miss.”—
PopSugar“[Qian Julie Wang] is remarkable, and her story is a must-read.”—
Alma“An amazing story of the emotional and physical toll of lives lived in the enforced shadows of anti-immigrant America.”—
Daily Kos
“Wang’s voice is powerful and the writing is absolutely gorgeous.” —
Emma Straub, author of This Time Tomorrow“Beautiful Country rings with power and authenticity. Wang's searing exploration reveals how she and her family were forced to navigate the yawning cracks in the American Dream. An eloquent, thought-provoking and touching memoir.”
—Jean Kwok, author of Girl in Translation and Searching for Sylvie Lee“Heartrending, unvarnished, and powerfully courageous, this account of growing up undocumented in America will never leave you.”—
Gish Jen, author of The Resisters
“Deeply compelling…I was moved by the love and resilience of this family thrust into darkness…that casts an urgent light on a reality that extends way beyond America’s borders.”
—Hisham Matar, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Return“A potent testament to the love, curiosity, grit, and hope of a courageous and resourceful immigrant child. Engaging readers through all five senses and the heart, Wang's debut memoir is a critical addition to the literature on immigration as well as the timeless category of childhood memoir.”—
Kirkus Reviews, *Starred Review*“Extraordinary… With immense skill, Wang parses how her family’s illegal status blighted nearly every aspect of their life . . .While Wang’s story of pursuing the American dream is undoubtedly timeless, it’s her family’s triumph in the face of “xenophobia and intolerance” that makes it feel especially relevant today. Consider this remarkable memoir a new classic.”—
Publishers Weekly, *Starred Review*
“The writing is sparse, stylish, sometimes harrowing and sometimes humorous as she narrates experiences that are incredibly common but rarely captured with this level of artful control. It’s shaping up to be one of the best memoirs of the year.”—
Bookpage, *Starred Review*“[A] powerful debut. . . [Wang] movingly tells how undocumented families like hers are often overlooked and their experiences ignored. A haunting memoir of people and places that will stay with readers long after the last page.”—
Library Journal
“In this brutally honest coming-of-age memoir, Qian Julie Wang comes to terms with the deprivations and struggles of her undocumented Chinese upbringing in New York City in the 1990s.”
