Beautiful Country: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Memoir of an Undocumented Childhood

Qian Julie Wang’s memoir about her life growing up as an undocumented child in New York in the 1990s is humbling, eye-opening, and beautifully rendered. Experiencing the confusion, hardships, and racism through the eyes of a child is especially heart-breaking. Beautiful Country (which translates to Mei Guo, America in Chinese) perfectly captures the enduring hope and courage of an immigrant’s struggle to obtain the very basic needs every human deserves.

“Hunger was a constant, reliable friend in Mei Guo. She came second only to loneliness."

Beautiful Country is also the perfect memoir for book lovers. Qian’s love of books and the world they opened for her illustrates the importance of stories, how they can rescue and heal the loneliest child. When Qian is placed in a “special needs” classroom because she can’t speak English, she uses books like The Berenstain Bears and Clifford to teach herself to read. It’s inspiring, but also devastating.

So much of her story is devastating. The racism her and her parents endure simply because they wanted a better life, something everyone has a right to. And in a country that was built on the foundation of welcoming the persecuted. They’re forced to live in poverty, always hungry, in a country with enough wealth to share.

“You cannot know that some things are not enough until you have them.”

Her story may be heart-wrenching, but it’s also witty and sweet, hopeful and engrossing. I was lead through a range of emotions, from smiling to crying. She has recalled her tumultuous childhood—the only buffer between her warring parents, her desperation for friends—with honesty. And her love of reading shines through her lyrical words.

I feel like saying too much about this memoir will only lead to unnecessary spoilers. I’m so very happy to see this one is receiving the attention it deserves, with awards and landing on so many must-read lists. Read this one to be reminded of the power of books. To be inspired, to be more knowledgeable, and to be more empathetic.

All quotes are taken from the advance copy and are subject to change in final print.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy.

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#popsugarreadingchallenge2021 (Prompt #40f - A book about an immigrant or refugee)

I found Beautiful Country when attempting to find stories similar to that of my immigrant family’s story; in pursuit of improving my personal narrative skills. I enjoyed this read, particularly with how people were written and how the themes in this memoir were executed. Characters evolved, were easy to relate to, and were multidimensional. The themes present are relevant in today’s society/political climate, and are conveyed successfully through the perspective of a child (very, very challenging in writing). My only gripe with the book was in its structure and organization, as the flow of events could feel hard to keep up with at times. The separation of events felt isolated at times and didn’t always contribute to the whole of the story. I have recommended this read as inspiration to any first generation people wanting to also share their stories, for the storytelling skills Qian Julie Wang so vividly demonstrates. TLDR; It offers a compelling, relatable narrative on immigration, skillfully told through a child’s perspective, with well-developed characters and relevant themes, despite some challenges in its structure and organization. Highly recommended for first-generation individuals seeking inspiration in storytellng.

Wow, the range of emotions this book had me feeling! It broke my heart over and over again, and I had SO many thoughts.

I think what broke my heart the most was how much young Qian internalized guilt for things that were completely out of her control, things that most children would never even have to think about. Whenever anything bad happened to her family, she immediately felt guilty and blamed herself. I just wanted to hug her and tell her it wasn’t her fault.

Children of immigrants and poor families are forced to grow up quickly, because they have so many responsibilities and expectations and pressure put on them. They also grow up quickly because they cannot depend on their parents. It hurt to see Qian being disappointed and held back by the adults in her life, she didn’t have many good role models throughout her childhood.

Qian's complex relationship with her parents was a rollercoaster ride for me. At times I was so frustrated with them for all the unnecessary hurtful things they said, or how much fear they instilled in her, or how much they held her back from dreaming and doing what she wanted to do. Her parents, especially her mother, relied on her so much, and she was burdened beyond what any child should have to shoulder. The constant fear that she and her family lived with just because they were "undocumented" severely hindered their ability to live and thrive. America was a cold and unwelcoming place to them.

“Beautiful country” is what China calls America (Meiguo). Korea, because it uses Chinese characters, also calls America “beautiful country” (Miguk). The America that Qian experienced was far from that. I think she’s so brave to have shared her story. I hope that Qian is now healing from her trauma, that writing this book was cathartic for her and that she knows how much she’s touching people’s lives and helping them to understand and heal from their own traumas too.

This book is easily my top read of the year so far.

Beautifully written with a pinch of humour and loads of emotional insights. A story of a little girl, an undocumented child surviving through all the poverty, but who is extremely smart, brave and resilient. A must read

My favorite book read in 2022. Qian’s perspective of a Chinese immigrant and navigating America is heart wrenching, inspiring, and eye opening. Her curiosity and love of books, animals, and her ma ma is key to her survival. Highly recommend this book if you are looking for an uplifting and powerful story.