The Book of Unknown Americans

Zusatztext 41399571 Informationen zum Autor Cristina Henríquez is the author of the story collection Come Together, Fall Apart, which was a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection, and the novel The World in Half . Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The American Scholar, Glimmer Train, Virginia Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, TriQuarterly, AGNI, and Oxford American, as well as in various anthologies. She lives in Illinois. Klappentext "Illuminate[s] the lives behind the current debates about Latino immigration." -The New York Times Book Review When fifteen-year-old Maribel Rivera sustains a terrible injury, the Riveras leave behind a comfortable life in Mexico and risk everything to come to the United States so that Maribel can have the care she needs. Once they arrive, it's not long before Maribel attracts the attention of Mayor Toro, the son of one of their new neighbors, who sees a kindred spirit in this beautiful, damaged outsider. Their love story sets in motion events that will have profound repercussions for everyone involved. Here Henríquez seamlessly interweaves the story of these star-crossed lovers, and of the Rivera and Toro families, with the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Latin America. The Book of Unknown Americans is a stunning novel of hopes and dreams, guilt and love-a book that offers a resonant new definition of what it means to be American. Named a New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book, an NPR Great Read, The Daily Beast's Novel of the Year, and a Mother Jones, Oprah.com, School Library Journal, and BookPage Best Book of the YearMayor               We heard they were from México.             “Definitely,” my mom said, staring at them through our front window as they moved in. “Look at how short they are.” She let the curtain fall back in place and walked to the kitchen, wiping her hands on the dish towel slung over her shoulder.             I looked, but all I saw was three people moving through the dark, carrying stuff from a pickup truck to unit 2D. They cut across the headlights of the truck a few times, and I made out their faces, but only long enough to see a mom, a dad, and a girl about my age.             “So?” my dad asked when I joined him and my mom at the dinner table.             “I couldn’t really see anything,” I said.             “Do they have a car?”             I shook my head. “The truck’s just dropping them off, I think.”             My dad sawed off a piece of chicken and stuffed it in his mouth. “Do they have a lot of things?” he asked.             “It didn’t seem like it.”             “Good,” my dad said. “Maybe they are like us, then.”             We heard from Quisqueya Solís that their last name was Rivera.             “And they’re legal,” she reported to my mom over coffee one afternoon. “All of them have visas.”             “How do you know?” my mom asked.             “That’s what Nelia told me. She heard it from Fito. Apparently the mushroom farm is sponsoring them.”             “Of course,” my mom said.             I was in the living room, eavesdropping, even though I was supposed to be doing my geometry homework.             “Well,” my mom went on, clearing her throat, “it will be nice to have another family in the building. They’ll be a good addition.”             Quisqueya took a quick look at me before turning back to my mom and hunching over her coffee mug. “Except . . . ,” she said.             My mom leaned forward. “What?”             Quisqueya said, “The girl . . .” She looked at me again.             My mom peered over Quisqueya’s shoulder. “Mayor, are you listening to us?”             I tried to act surprised. “Huh? Me?”             My mom knew me too well, though. She shook her head at Quisqueya to signal t...

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Cristina Henrfquez, Cristina Henriquez, Cristina Henríquez
• Editore: Vintage USA
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 03.03.2015
• EAN: 9780345806406
• ISBN: 978-0-345-80640-6
• Pagine: 304
• Dimensioni: 135 mm x 205 mm x 18 mm
• Serie: Vintage Contemporaries; Vintage Contemporaries
• Categoria: Narrativa > Romanzi