I’ve stopped and started this review six times now. I thought part of it was writer’s block, but it’s not. How do I even begin to talk about these incredible immigration stories I just read? The amount of power behind the words on the pages and the feelings that they evoke just make you want to hold this book close to your chest. It has found a special place on my shelves. These are stories that are bittersweet, sad, happy, afraid, and a full spectrum of emotions that comes with being an immigrant. This is such an important read, especially if you’re an immigrant or child of an immigrant. I laughed, cried, and felt like I was a part of all of these journeys long after they ended. The authors featured in this book have all written small stories from their hearts, and I hope you’ll add this to your shelves.
Come On In is an anthology from 15 bestselling as well as up and coming authors that talk all about the anxieties, inspirations, and daunting journeys that happen through immigration. It encompasses a variety of cultures, countries, and traditions. This book includes stories of TSA stops, camping with extended families, dancing at weddings, and giving up their rooms for displaced family members can be found within the pages of this book, where the authors give their own answer to the question: “Where are you from?”
My favourite story in this anthology is the one that it starts with. All the Colors of Goodbye by Nafiza Azad is such a powerful telling of a young woman saying goodbye to the home she’s known her entire life and trying to figure out what to pack into the one suitcase she gets to take with her. The tearful goodbyes and at times unspoken feelings just spoke to my soul. It reminded me of my own parents’ stories of leaving their countries. Nafiza writes so beautifully, and it encompasses such a great amount of feeling. I loved every bit of this story.
The Wedding by Sara Farizan was the most heartbreaking. It speaks to the separation of families, and how long it takes at times for families to be reunited. Cost and ability to travel make things very difficult for families to be reunited, and the way that Sara tells this story brought tears to my eyes remembering every time I’ve travelled to see my family and how the joyful tears can’t seem to stop. The joy but also impending sadness that this treasured time will not last forever. Just thinking about this has made me weepy all over again.
The hardest ones for me to read were The Curandera and the Alchemist and The Trip by Sona Charaipotra, because while this has always been a fear I’ve had when I travel, for some it has been a terrible reality. The absolute panic and terror at being pulled by the TSA and not believed by “agents of the law” to be who you say you are, or even that you’re in the country legally…it’s heavy. On the other side, there’s also the fear if you are an undocumented immigrant of what might happen if you’re caught by the wrong person. It might be triggering for some readers, but if you can read them, please do. They’re so important.
A Bigger Tent by Maurene Goo made me laugh at the complexities of large families. It’s also a powerful testament to the resilience of family traditions. It was a very sweet story. Hard to Say by Sharon Morse was the one that resonated with me the most. It’s about how sometimes you can have two identities, but feel removed from one because the language has become unfamiliar and your memories are hazy. However, it doesn’t change that there’s always a way to get close to those family members that we might not share a language with anymore.
I’d love to keep talking about all of these stories, because each one will find a place in the reader’s hearts. And the best part is that it will not be the same for each reader. Each story is unique and unforgettable, and each voice brings something different to the book. I urge every reader to get a copy of this book and read it. Maybe you have your own story to tell, or you would like to know about the experiences of others. One thing is certain, your answer to “where are you from?” will be just as unique as these authors.
Come On In is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of October 13th 2020.
Will you be picking up Come On In? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
This exceptional and powerful anthology explores the joys, heartbreaks and triumphs of immigration, with stories by bestselling and beloved YA authors who are themselves immigrants and the children of immigrants.
From some of the most exciting bestselling and up-and-coming YA authors writing today…journey from Ecuador to New York City and Argentina to Utah, from Australia to Harlem and India to New Jersey, from Fiji, America, Mexico and more… Come On In.
With characters who face random traffic stops, TSA detention, customs anxiety, and the daunting and inspiring journey to new lands, who camp with their extended families, dance at weddings, keep diaries, teach ESL, give up their rooms for displaced family, decide their own answer to the question “where are you from?” and so much more, Come On Inilluminates fifteen of the myriad facets of the immigrant experience.
