Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See

Title:  Daughters of the Sun and Moon

Author:  Lisa See 

Narrated by:  Jennifer Lim, Quanna Luo Masterson, Emily Woo Zeller, Lisa See

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 14 hours and 31 minutes 

Source: Thank-you to @simon.audio #SimonAudioInfluence for the audiobook review copy.

Who is an auto read author for you?  Lisa See is an auto read author for me. I always love her riveting historical fiction.

In 1870, three different Chinese women arrived in Los Angeles.  Chinese women were scarce at that time, and all three were arriving into very different situations.  Dove is a pampered daughter with bound feet and is coming to be the second wife to a wealthy merchant.  Petal is the daughter of peasants who have sold her into a life of prostitution to try to avoid starvation.  Moon is married to a traditional doctor of Chinese medicine and is joining him.  All three women are hailed as beauties.  As they get settled into their new lives, turmoil occurs due to waring factions between rival gangs and anti-Chinese sentiments.  Will all three women survive, and can they thrive?

My thoughts on this novel:

• I had never heard of the 1871 massacre in Los Angeles.  It was horrifying to learn about it.  It was a race riot against Chinese immigrants.  Have we as an immigrant nation learned from our mistakes or are we doomed to repeat them?

• I love Lisa See’s novels and how she highlights unique to me parts of women’s history.

• This was great on audiobook.  There were different narrators for the three different women and their viewpoints.

• I was also horrified to learn that slavery continued after it was outlawed by the Emancipation Proclamation.  Young Chinese women were sold by their families in China to be shipped to the United States to either be wives or women of the night.

• The story is told through a dual timeline between 1870 and 1920.  In 1920, they are looking back at memories.

• The women had to live through so much.  I was glad they had each other and their friendship to make it through.

• Moon loved her husband and longs for a child.

• Dove is an ornament for her old husband, but when she is kidnapped, she finds her inner strength.

• I loved how Petal started growing herbs and trying to plan for a life outside of prostitution.

• There is a great author’s note at the end of the novel with the detailed history.  I was moved by the reading of the names of all of those killed in the massacre.

Overall, Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See was a riveting historical fiction novel with compelling characters set during a place and time that I learned a lot about.  I highly recommend this novel and audiobook.

The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee

 Title:  The Making of Asian America

Author:  Erika Lee

Narrated by:  Emily Woo Zeller

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Length: Approximately 15 hours and 51 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com and physical book from @History_In_Five #HistoryBuffsBookClub Thank-you!

What book have your read recently that taught you a lot?

Asian Americans are the fastest growing group in America (I’m not sure how the last year has impacted this statistic).  This book tells the story of the deep roots Asian Americans have in the country up to present day.

My thoughts on this book:

·       I read this book in May, and it was one of my favorite reads of the month.

·       I am sad to say that I am very lacking on my knowledge of Asian Americans in the history of the United State.  This book did a great job of catching me up on the basics.

·       Asian Americans have been settling America since the very beginning of our country.

·       We should all be worried about how the 14^th amendment has ended up in the news again.  In the past, groups tried to void this amendment to keep out citizens born in our country that were Asian or non-white.

·       Asian Americans are from many different countries from immigration through the centuries.  They all have their own story and this book tried to give brief accounts of many different types of Asian Americans.

·       Asian American are “model immigrants” that are highly successful, but it also true that they are immigrants that struggle and are among the poorest.

·       I never knew about Hmong people and how they helped the US military during Vietnam until I was in college and my Wisconsin roommate told me about them.  They have settled primarily in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  An image from the immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis this past winter was of an old Hmong legal immigrant being arrested in the bitter cold in his underwear.  I am still haunted by this.

·       Hispanic immigrants are constantly in the news, but the number one immigrants in the United States are Asians including illegal immigrants.  Immigration needs to be reformed.

·       I will be thinking about this book for a long time.  I learned so much and is it just the surface of learning about Asian Americans.

·       This book has been recently updated for modern times including the violence against Asian American that has surfaced in this decade.

·       The audiobook had a great narrator, and I didn’t want to stop listening to it!

Overall, The Making of Asian America by Erika Lee is a thought-provoking book to learn about history of Asian Americans in the United States.  I will be referencing this book in the future.

When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka

 

What is your favorite banned book?

A Japanese family that is living in Berkely California is evacuated to a Japanese internment camp in Utah.  Their father was arrested on December 7^th and shipped somewhere separately.  Each family member is impacted in a different way.  As they return after the war, it is hard to adjust back to life amongst neighbors who labeled them the enemy.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a short, but powerful book.  It was very thought provoking.

·       Sparse prose describes the story of one family of Japanese heritage that was taken to an internment camp by the U.S. Government during WWII and how it impacted their lives.

·       The book is written in five chapters, each with a different perspective (mother, daughter, son, family, father).

·       The family remained unnamed through the novel and could have been anyone.

·       This book was banned in Muskego, Wisconsin, by the school board in 2022 for the advanced English class as it did not have a “balanced” viewpoint as it only showed the Japanese internment camp survivor’s perspective.  What a ridiculous reason to ban a book.  I thought this book would be a perfect book to read and discuss in a literature or history class.

·       This was a great read for Asian American Pacific Islander month.

Overall, When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka is a powerful book about one family’s experience in the Japanese Internment campus during WWII.  I’m still thinking about this book a week after finishing it.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com

 

Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang

 

Title:  Julie Chan is Dead

Author:  Liann Zhang

Narrated by:  Yu-Li Alice Shen

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 39 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank-you!

Who is your favorite book villain and why?

Julie Chan’s parents died in an accident when she was a child.  A wealthy couple adopts her twin, Chloe, while their cruel aunt raises Julie.  Julie is struggling to make ends meet while her twin, Chloe, is a wealthy influencer.  They live estranged lives until Julie receives a mysterious call one day from Chloe.  She investigates and discovers Chloe dead in her apartment.  Instead of reporting Chloe’s death, she reports her own and takes over Chloe’s fabulous life.  Will the truth be discovered?  What is going on with the mysterious group of premier influencers that have invited her for a week long getaway on an island?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This was a very unique story and audiobook, and it definitely caught my attention on a long drive for work.  Yu-Li Alice Shen was a great narrator and storyline was riveting.

·       I was surprised to learn that this was Liann Zhang’s debut novel.  It was a great debut!

·       The story grew very surreal when they were on the island.  The story was weird at times, but also enjoyable.

·       It was an interesting look into how seductive social media likes and validation are and how that can take over your life.

·       Roughly half of the book was a look into Julie taking over Chloe’s life and the other half was going to the island with the other premier influencers.

·       This was both a dark comedy and a thriller.

·       I came into this book knowing nothing about it and it took me by surprise.  The twists and turns in the story made for a wild ride.

·       I didn’t really like the character of Julie Chan at all, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to read about her and see where all the craziness went.  She was a good anti-hero.

·       The ending was open and intriguing. I’m still thinking about it.

·       This was on NPR Book of the Day this week with a nice interview with author Liann Zhang.  She was an Instagrammer and influencer herself in her teens.  It was interesting!

Overall, Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang was a unique enthralling dark comedy and thriller.  I recommend for someone who is looking for something new and different to read.

One Last Word by Suzanne Park

 

If you could send loved ones one last message before you die, what would you say?

Sara Chae has invented an app, One Last Word, which allows you to send messages to anyone you want to when you die.  It stores the messages you have written and sends them off after news of your death.  After a drunken night of fun, Sara’s messages are accidentally sent out including to her long-time crush, Harry.  Will Sara be able to get her app launched successfully into the world?  Will she and Harry finally have a chance?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I have read and enjoyed Suzanne Park’s novels in the past.  I enjoy her characters and stories and this one did not disappoint.

·       I enjoyed that Sara was a strong woman in the Tech world.  As a female engineer, I love and enjoy STEM novels.

·       The book was overall on Sara’s journey as an Asian female in a primarily white male dominated tech world.  How can she work to carve out her own place in this world?

·       Sara’s parents also have ideas of what Sara should be, especially compared to her sister Jia.  The family interactions and expectations were interesting.  Sara was a workaholic trying to meet her family’s expectations, but she felt like she was never meeting them.

·       I loved the sweet romance between Sara and Harry.  It is a second chance romance if they never acted on their mutual crush in high school?

·       There are a few steamy scenes in this one.

·       Sara and Harry seemed like real people that I would be friends with.  Sara especially was very relatable.  This was a great character driven novel.

·       I loved the humor in this book and laughed out loud many times.

One Last Word is a charming character driven romance set in the tech world.  I enjoyed it!

Book Source:  Review copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!

A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @marinerbooks for the review copy of A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Have you ever moved to a new area, or do you live where you grew up?  I grew up in a small town in Michigan, but I now live in a small town in Wisconsin.  There are some differences and some similarities.

Another question, have you ever had something go wrong even though you’ve done everything correctly in life?  I feel like we’ve all had that moment where life suddenly goes wrong.  That is what happens for the Shah family in A Great Country.  They have moved to the prestigious Pacific Hills area in California and things seem to be going well for the family.  Suddenly one night, the Shah parents, Ashok, and Priya, receive a call while at a dinner party.  Their 12-year-old son has been arrested.  How can this be and how can they help their son?  How can this happen to model minorities?

My thoughts on this book:

·       Wow!  This book packed a lot of important and thoughtful topics in a relatively short book.  It would make an excellent book club pick and would provide a lot of discussion points.

·       I liked the thoughts on being a model minority and what that means.  The Shah family has been in the United States for twenty years, worked hard and built a successful business.  Does that protect them from being perceived in a biased manner?

·       This novel also turned bias around the other way.  Does the Shah family hold biased views against other groups?  What is the difference between them and another family who had their young son killed?

·       Do you need a new fancy house in a new fancy neighborhood to be successful?

·       It turns out that their 12-year-old son, Ajay, is on the spectrum.  Ashok does not want his son labeled and has not had him evaluated or tried to receive any help for him. Culturally he believes that children should be perfect. He thought things were fine until Ajay did not react the way the police think he should react.  I liked the thoughtful look into realizing that it is okay if your child has problems, and it is okay to get help for those problems.

·       As a mother, I thought this entire scenario was very scary, but also very important to think about.  Do you think, well, that will not happen to my children because they are of a certain ethnicity or a certain religion?  Is that okay?

·       I also liked the thoughtful look at the police.  Just like people, there are good and bad police.  And even the so called “bad police” may have had experiences that make them have certain bias or perceptions that they use to protect themselves. In this case, one of the police was a veteran that had seen young children used as weapons for terrorism in Afghanistan.

·       It had an interesting look at the caste system in modern day India and how that may trickle over into immigrants in America and how they treat others.

·       The ending was satisfactory to me, but I’m sure some will think it ends too tidy.

·       I have read and enjoyed Secret Daughter by this author in the past.  This reminds me that I should read her other novels.  She is an excellent author.

·       If you enjoyed reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, I highly recommend this novel.

Favorite Quotes:

“He’s at a tender age, your brother.  Losing his innocence.  Seeing the ugliness of the world.  But he’ll get through it. You all will.”

“An immigrant-rich country like ours makes for a complex fabric.  These are tricky things to navigate in our society, which is something Vikram’s learning as well.  We are all here too help you.”

Overall, A Great County by Shilpi Somaya Gowda is a book that I will think about for a long time.  It’s an important and timely read.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

 

Title:  Lady Tan’s Circle of Women

Author:  Lisa See

Narrated by:  Jennifer Lim and Justin Chien

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 13 hours and 15 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you @simonandschuster #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

Do you have a “circle of women?”  Family, friends, coworkers, a book club that support you?  Or would you like to have a supportive group?

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See is the story of a real 15^th century doctor in Chian, Tan Yunxian. The story starts with Yunxian as a small child. She loves her mother, but after her mother dies from a foot infection, she goes to live with her grandparents.  Both of her grandparents are doctors and they train her with their skills.  Being a doctor in the 15^th century is much different than now. The doctor was not allowed to touch any blood or bodily fluids. Male doctors couldn’t even be within sight of their female patients, which is what made it so invaluable to have a female doctor.  Grandmother pairs Yunxian with a young midwife, Meiling. The two have a great friendship that spans their lives through marriage and ups and downs.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women was a very engaging audiobook – I couldn’t stop listening.  I loved learning about the culture, but I also loved the mystery that was laced throughout the story that Yunxian solved at the end.  It was overall a great story of female friendship.  Jennifer Lim was a great narrator and Justin Chien narrated a short part at the end.

I loved the note at the end of the book that discussed that the real medical book that Tan Yunxian had written had started to go out of print, but her descendant found a copy of it in a private collection and had it reprinted.  This book uses that medical book and the scant details of her life to create a beautiful story. Author Lisa See fills in all of the details and has great descriptions of the era.  I have always enjoyed her books in the past.

The book does go into detail about foot binding.  I remember when I first read about foot binding in Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.  From our modern times, it is still hard for me to figure out how binding feet until they rotted could have been considered attractive.  It sounds so painful and hard for a woman to actually walk.  I wonder who thought of this in the first place?  I wonder what beauty regime from now will be looked upon as strange in the future.  Any thoughts?

Favorite Quote:

“For much of my life I felt alone, but over the years a circle of women came to love me and I came to love each of those women in return.”

The Do Over by Suzanne Park

 

If you had to go back to your college or high school to complete courses, would you, do it?  It would definitely be different now going back so long afterwards.  I’m sure I would love taking classes and meeting new people, but it wouldn’t be the same with the friends from my original college run not there.  With a job, husband, and kids, I wouldn’t be able to go back right now realistically!

Lily Lee has written a book and is making a success of her career.  She is about to start her dream job when she discovers she can’t be hired because she never actually graduated from college due to a technicality.  She returns to her alma mater determined to finish her degree with as little fuss as possible.  When she gets there, she discovers that her TA for her computer science class is her ex-boyfriend from college, Jake Cho.  How can this be?  Luckily her best friend Mia does not abandon her and visits a lot.  Will she be able to finish her degree, figure out her love life, and write her next book?  Lily has a lot on her plate.

I really enjoyed Lily’s journey in this book.  I really liked the honest look the book took at mental health and the expectations that our families place on us.  In Lily’s case, her parents’ expectations caused worsening anxiety to develop over time.  It also had an interesting discussion of how mental health is not often discussed in South Korean families. 

This novel had an overall theme of female empowerment that I enjoyed.  Lily has an arch enemy couple of rich siblings who seem to be ripping off her book series idea and are writing their own self help book in the same vein as hers.  It is hilarious as the brother that is part of the team mansplains at events what it is like in the working world for women and seems to not see the problem with doing this. 

I liked the second chance romance storyline with Jake.  The book flashed back to show what ended their relationship ten years previously.  The romance didn’t seem to be as well developed as it seemed to be a secondary storyline in this novel, and I was okay with it. 

Overall, I really enjoyed The Do-Over.  I loved Lily and her journey.

Book Source: Review Copy from NetGalley and Avon Books.   Thank-you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The East Indian by Brinda Charry

 

Title:  The East Indian

Author:  Brinda Charry

Narrated by:  Vikas Adam

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 44 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you @simonandschuster #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

What is your favorite adventure or travel novel, movie or show?  I really enjoyed The Eat Indian by Brinda Charry and another book I loved in the past was The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert.

The East Indian is an intriguing adventure historical fiction novel.   Tony is a young man growing up in India.  His life is thrown into turmoil after his mother’s death.  He soon finds himself on the way to England in a new position as a servant.  While in England, he soon finds himself kidnapped off the streets of London and sent to the new world of America.  Working as an indentured servant in America, Tony dreams of becoming a physician’s assistant.  He faces many dangers and hardships, but also finds love and hope.

 Vikas Adam was a good audiobook narrator.  It was an interesting audiobook to listen to.  I am ready for more!  Strangely the audiobook didn’t have the great author’s note that is at the end of the physical book.   I am always intrigued to learn that the past was a lot more diverse than many people realize.  “Tony” is the earliest known mention of an East Indian in America.  He was brought over in 1635 by Gorge Menefe to work as an indentured servant in Virginia.  There were many other East Indians living and working in colonial America and involved in the Revolutionary War.

It was eye opening looking into how indentured servants made it to America and how they were treated.  Tony has a young friend named Sammy who was also kidnapped with him.  He really wants to hear from his family back in England.  He is not treated kindly by his overseer which leads to devastating consequences.  

It was also eye opening to see how Tony was treated.  Most people did not know what ethnicity he was and made various assumptions about him.  Tony just wanted to have the same opportunities as all settlers.

I loved the adventure of this book as Tony continually discovers new places.  One of my favorite bits is when he goes west to explore with his master.  It’s also a coming-of-age story as Tony grows into a man and identifies what kind of life he wants.

Overall, The East Indian is a great coming-of-age historical fiction adventure story set in the 1600’s. I would love to read more of Tony’s story or of his family through time.  I’ll be looking for what author Brinda Charry writes next.

Favorite Quote:

“I will go home now – the western sky is flush with light and my wife and child are waiting.”

Of White Ashes by Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto

 

How is your May 1st? Do you have any May Day traditions? I used to pick wildflowers as a kid and give them to people. We woke up to snow today in Northeast Wisconsin, which makes for a strange May Day.

I am very excited to read Of White Ashes by Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto this month. It sounds like a riveting new historical fiction novel. It is being published today, May 1st.

Book Synopsis

Inspired by the true stories of the authors’ family, Of White Ashes crosses oceans and cultures, illuminating the remarkable lives of two Japanese Americans who endure seemingly unbearable hardship during World War II. Their experiences compel us to reflect on the resilience of humanity and the risk of history repeating.

What do you think about Of White Ashes by Constance Hays Matsumoto and Kent Matsumoto?

When Can We Go Back to America by Susan H. Kamai

 When Can We Go Back to America by Susan H. Kamai

Title:  When Can We Go Back to America

Author:  Susan H. Kamai

Narrated by:  Allison Hiroto, Kurt Kanazawa, Andrew Kishino, and Mizuo Peck

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 21 hours and 42 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster.  Thank-you!

 What historical period of time would you like to learn more about?

 I knew a bit about the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent, but When Can We Go Back to America is a full deep dive into this period of history.  I learned a lot.  This was a great audiobook experience as the stories were told in first person accounts from the people who lived it.  As my college history professor has always said, it is best to learn history from first person accounts.

 One item I learned that surprised me is that American citizens of Japanese descent and Japanese American citizens that were prominent were arrested on December 7^th and taken away.  I didn’t know that it had happened so fast.  The FBI had been compiling lists well before December 7^th and were ready.  It was heard to listen to the stories of the American citizens taken away from their homes, giving up everything to life in what was termed as that time as concentration camps.  An image that really stuck with me is that the children that were Boy Scouts wore their uniforms and helped everyone out. 

 The audiobook also focused on the 442^nd Infantry unit that was put together of the American citizens of Japanese descent. This until became one of the most decorated units in World War II and fought on the European front.  The stories of bravery were inspiring.

 The story told through the end of the war and when the American citizens of Japanese descent returned home.  They no longer had homes, farms, or anything and had to start over.  It was hard, and especially hard for the decorated soldiers who returned home to find they and their families had nothing.  It took forty years, but in the 1980s, the people who were interned received compensation from the government.

 At this point, I thought the audiobook was finished, but there was still seven hours left.  It was seven hours of biographies of all of the people whose stories were used in this book.  They were riveting, sad, inspiriting, and truly the story of America.  I also enjoyed that George Takei of Star Trek fame was included.  I read and loved his graphic novel about his internment experience, They Called Us Enemies, with my son Daniel.

 I first really learned of the Japanese internment when I read Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson in the 1990s.  This book was mentioned as was the real-life person who the story was based on. 

 When Can We Go Back to America got its name from a child who asked this question as they couldn’t believe they were still in America as they lived in a concentration camp.  This story is important for all Americans to read or to listen to.  We need to make sure we remember the rights of American citizens and ensure that this never happens again. 

 This book was intriguing and told a very important story in American history.  I highly recommend it.

In the Dark We Forget by Sandra SG Wong (TLC Book Tours)

 

What is your favorite type of thriller?  Do you enjoy psychological, action, political, spy, legal, science fiction, etc. thrillers?  I would have to say all of the above for myself.  I really enjoy psychological thrillers. 

In the Dark We Forget delivers.  A woman wakes up alone with no memories off of a mountain highway in rural Canada.  Who is she and what happened to hear?  Drugs are discovered in her system and the search is on to find her identity.  As more gaps are filled into her story, it’s discovered that her parents are also missing.  What does she have to do with their disappearance and did her mother winning the lottery have anything to do with it?

In the Dark We Forget had a very engaging storyline.  I especially liked that Cleo Li discovered a lot about herself that she didn’t like.  It was also interesting as the discussion in the novel also pertained to people making assumptions about Cleo Li due to her ethnicity.  Assumptions that are pretty much always wrong. Cleo was able to learn about herself and also make some changes.  It was intriguing to think about your identity and how you could be a different person if you can’t quite remember the past. Cleo’s brother Cass was also an interesting character and I liked the dynamic between the two siblings.  I also really enjoyed the setting.  Yoho National Park and the Yoho Valley Road sound beautiful. 

I enjoyed the conclusion of the novel, although I will admit that I wish it was a bit more specific.  It gave me the clues to draw out what I think finally happened, but I think I’ve been reading too many Agatha Christie novels lately and I wanted a full confession to all.

Favorite Quote:

“This tastes of an ongoing disagreement, like bitterness and ashes.”

Overall, In the Dark We Forget is an intriguing new thriller.

Book Source:  A Review Copy from Harper Collins.  Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

 

Title:  Recipe for Persuasion

Author:  Sonali Dev

Narrated by:  Soneela Nankani

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 13 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library through Overdrive.  Thank-you!

 

Would you participate in a reality cooking show?

Recipe for Persuasion is the second book in the Rajes Series.  There are shared characters in both books, but you can definitely read it as a stand alone novel.  I think of this series more as Austen inspired rather than a modern version of the Austen novel.  The overall theme of the Austen novel is here, but really nothing else.  The theme of Persuasion is second chance romance.

Chef Ashna Raje is trying to keep the restaurant she inherited from her father, Curried Dreams, going, while also trying to avoid her overbearing mother, Shoban.  Shoban wants Ashna to return to India.  Ashna decides the answer to her problems is to participate in the reality cooking series, Cooking with the Stars.  Once she starts the show, she discovers she is paired with good looking soccer star, Rico Silva.  Their first meeting goes viral.  Little does everyone know, but Ashna and Rico were high school sweethearts that had a messy break up.  How will the cooking show work with the two back together?

I love second chance romance and thought this was a great book.  I like how both Ashna and Rico have to deal with decisions they both made in the past and work through them.  I also really enjoyed that mother Shoban got a back story.  It told the tale of how she became the woman and mother that she was.  There was a lot of mult-layered family drama in this novel an I loved it!

Narrator Soneela Nankani was a good narrator and this was an enjoyable audiobook.  The audiobook switched between Shoban, Ashna, and Rico’s perspectives.

 

My Life: Growing up Asian in America

 

Title:  My Life: Growing up Asian in America

Author:  Melissa de la Cruz, Marie Lu, Aisha Sultan, Nathan Ramos-Park, etc.

Narrated by:  Jennifer Aquino, Ramón de Ocampo, Deepti Gupta, Kamran R. Khan, Marie Lu, etc.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 5 hours and 47 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster.  Thank-you!

May was Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.  I thought it was a great month to listen to My Life:  Growing Up Asian in America. This audiobook was 30 essays from varying perspectives about growing up Asian in America.  “There are 23 million people, representing more than twenty countries, each with unique languages, histories, and cultures, clumped under one banner: Asian American.”  Listening to these essays made me realize just how many different experiences there are as an “Asian American.”

The essays were heartfelt and interesting.  They were put together after the shootings in Atlanta and rise of anti-Asian crimes during the COVID epidemic.  They focused on microaggressions and racism that occurred to the authors while growing up.    They were told in different styles and with different narrators in the audiobook for each essay.  It made it a very interesting listening experience.  This was published by the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) and MTV books.  I thought that it was very thought-provoking.  I would be interested in listening to more audiobooks like this about different experiences growing up in America. 

Overall, My Life:  Growing up Asian in America is an important book to help understand different perspectives in America.