Autobiography

Beautiful Country: A Memoir

Beautiful Country: A Memoir

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  • Create Date：2021-09-09 10:51:02
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Qian Julie Wang
  • ISBN：0385547218
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Summary

An incandescent memoir from an astonishing new talent， Beautiful Country puts readers in the shoes of an undocumented child living in poverty in the richest country in the world。

In Chinese， the word for America， Mei Guo， translates directly to “beautiful country。” Yet when seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity， she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity。 In China， Qian’s parents were professors; in America， her family is “illegal” and it will require all the determination and small joys they can muster to survive。

In Chinatown， Qian’s parents labor in sweatshops。 Instead of laughing at her jokes， they fight constantly， taking out the stress of their new life on one another。 Shunned by her classmates and teachers for her limited English， Qian takes refuge in the library and masters the language through books， coming to think of The Berenstain Bears as her first American friends。 And where there is delight to be found， Qian relishes it: her first bite of gloriously greasy pizza， weekly “shopping days，” when Qian finds small treasures in the trash lining Brooklyn’s streets， and a magical Christmas visit to Rockefeller Center—confirmation that the New York City she saw in movies does exist after all。

But then Qian’s headstrong Ma Ma collapses， revealing an illness that she has kept secret for months for fear of the cost and scrutiny of a doctor’s visit。 As Ba Ba retreats further inward， Qian has little to hold onto beyond his constant refrain: Whatever happens， say that you were born here， that you’ve always lived here。

Inhabiting her childhood perspective with exquisite lyric clarity and unforgettable charm and strength， Qian Julie Wang has penned an essential American story about a family fracturing under the weight of invisibility， and a girl coming of age in the shadows， who never stops seeking the light。

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Reviews

Nina ，

Beautiful Country is a literal translation of the Chinese words for the United States， but Qian Julie Wang's memoir of an undocumented child's experience in the United States has many moments that are anything but beautiful。 Wang writes the voice and perspective of herself as a child so well that I really felt immersed in her world。 She writes many phrases and sentences in Chinese pinyin。 They're mostly translated or explained in the following sentences， but for me as a Chinese speaker， I could Beautiful Country is a literal translation of the Chinese words for the United States， but Qian Julie Wang's memoir of an undocumented child's experience in the United States has many moments that are anything but beautiful。 Wang writes the voice and perspective of herself as a child so well that I really felt immersed in her world。 She writes many phrases and sentences in Chinese pinyin。 They're mostly translated or explained in the following sentences， but for me as a Chinese speaker， I could imagine all of the characters speaking in their native language。I think Wang's story is important to tell because it is different from how people usually imagine both undocumented families and Chinese families。 The poverty and struggles that are described in this memoir are so different from the "model minority" homogenous image that is applied to Asian Americans。 The main reason this wasn't a 5 star book for me was because I wanted the story to go further。 It's mostly about a specific period of Wang's life and ends pretty abruptly after that。 Yet we know that she went on to go to a prestigious law school and have a very successful career。 I would have been interested to read more of the transition between these two phases of life。 Maybe there will be a sequel！Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Victoria Lanigan ，

。A beautiful， utterly personal and raw memoir of her journey from China to America。 In Chinese， America translated to “Beautiful Country。” 。This is a coming of age story tied into a journey where she and her family are hiding in the shadows trying to make a life for themselves in America。 How one can feel simultaneously so different yet so the same in this beautiful country。。This book is out today。。Thank you @NetGalley and @Doubleday for an arc

Jennifer Yeh ，

I honestly could not put this book down the second I opened its cover。 I could relate to so much of what Wang Qian went through， though not quite the hardest of the hardships。 I was lucky that I was born in America， but in a small town where I had to suffer through racism and being racially/sexually objectified at every turn。 I remember how big a day it was when my parents and older sister were able to finally， legally， be American citizens。 It took long， agonizing years。 I can’t really say much I honestly could not put this book down the second I opened its cover。 I could relate to so much of what Wang Qian went through， though not quite the hardest of the hardships。 I was lucky that I was born in America， but in a small town where I had to suffer through racism and being racially/sexually objectified at every turn。 I remember how big a day it was when my parents and older sister were able to finally， legally， be American citizens。 It took long， agonizing years。 I can’t really say much else about this beautiful story， except， “Please give it a read”。 It touched me and reminded me of where me， my family， and many other families came/started from。 。。。more

Sheri Konschak ，

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and so glad I did！ It truly opens your eyes to the challenges and difficulties that other ethnic races encountered when they came to the United States from their countries who had been in turmoil and they needed to escape， sometimes to protect their lives and family。 The story is of such a family， the parents who had been professors in their country and came to the Unites States and ended up working in dry cleaners and some of the lowest paying jobs on the I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and so glad I did！ It truly opens your eyes to the challenges and difficulties that other ethnic races encountered when they came to the United States from their countries who had been in turmoil and they needed to escape， sometimes to protect their lives and family。 The story is of such a family， the parents who had been professors in their country and came to the Unites States and ended up working in dry cleaners and some of the lowest paying jobs on the totem pole。 The daughter is resilient and this is her story。 She rose above the prejudices and turned her life into one that she and her parents could be proud of。 Once I started reading this book， I couldn't stop， almost completing it in one sitting！ Great book！ 。。。more

Anna ，

If you have read many immigrant stories before this one， you should begin to find a common thread running through them all。 First， there is an escape from homeland， either because of war， poverty， politics， economics， religion， to freedom from any or all of that。 Then， there is a realization that the place you escaped to doesn’t want you there; you look alien; you’re poor; you don’t speak the language （English generally）。 Next， there are no jobs for someone like you despite being a doctor， etc。， If you have read many immigrant stories before this one， you should begin to find a common thread running through them all。 First， there is an escape from homeland， either because of war， poverty， politics， economics， religion， to freedom from any or all of that。 Then， there is a realization that the place you escaped to doesn’t want you there; you look alien; you’re poor; you don’t speak the language （English generally）。 Next， there are no jobs for someone like you despite being a doctor， etc。， in your homeland。 So， you wash dishes， clean homes， anything to support the family。 Hello！！ Does this ring a bell yet？ Wang’s life as described in this book reflects pretty much， all immigrant lives， documented or undocumented， in their desire to make a life for themselves as best as they can。 They live with hope and dignity yet are continually getting knocked down， humiliated， in fear。 So， we call Wang and others like her “lucky” because they happened to not die， commit suicide， or jailed， as they made their way from kidhood to adulthood。 You need to read this book—someday， you will find that thread。 。。。more

Nel ，

On the heals of Labor Day， this memoir is the perfect read and really struck a chord with me。 As a daughter of Portuguese immigrants， I felt an immediate kinship with Qian from the get-go。 And yet， she faced so many more struggles than I did， since she was the daughter of undocumented immigrants。 Hers was a starkly different experience， in that she and her parents were constantly living under the veil of fear， never knowing if they would be deported。 Living with this ever-present undercurrent of On the heals of Labor Day， this memoir is the perfect read and really struck a chord with me。 As a daughter of Portuguese immigrants， I felt an immediate kinship with Qian from the get-go。 And yet， she faced so many more struggles than I did， since she was the daughter of undocumented immigrants。 Hers was a starkly different experience， in that she and her parents were constantly living under the veil of fear， never knowing if they would be deported。 Living with this ever-present undercurrent of anxiety is a tremendous hardship， and one that affects an innumerable number of families in our country。Ms。 Wang takes readers along on her unforgettable， painful journey beginning in 1994， through childhood and into adulthood， as she maneuvers a new life where she and her family are shown nothing but disregard。 It is a journey that most Americans cannot fathom， and yet it is all too common in the USA。 We live in a nation that exhorts the evils of undocumented immigrants and yet relies heavily upon these hard-working individuals for essential jobs - jobs that allow us to live the very privileged lives we lead。 And rather than exalting these members of our society， we often demean and disparage them， making them feel like outsiders in a land that was founded by foreigners just like them。As you can clearly see， this novel hit home。 And it made me remember what a privilege it is to live in this great country， while reminding me of the great responsibility we have to welcome those that choose to join our American Dream。 Hopefully we can allow others to embrace this Mei Guo， "Beautiful Country。"Many thanks to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for gifting me with this early reader's copy in exchange for an honest review。 Special thanks to Ms。 Wang for sharing your journey with us and enlightening your readers on the struggles that so many endure。Want to read more of my soapbox moments？ Check out my blog at mamasgottaread。blogspot。com or follow me on Instagram @mamasgottaread ！ 。。。more

Diana （Reading While Mommying） Dean ，

Wang’s memoir tells the gripping story of her childhood as an undocumented Chinese immigrant living in New York City。 It’s told from the perspective of her young self。 Done this way， this memoir juxtaposes Wang's inherent childhood innocence--the innocence children possess regarding lack of knowledge and world experience--with the harsh realities she experiences。 Told this way， the racism and challenges her family faces—work in sweatshops， cockroaches in their shared kitchen， language barriers， Wang’s memoir tells the gripping story of her childhood as an undocumented Chinese immigrant living in New York City。 It’s told from the perspective of her young self。 Done this way， this memoir juxtaposes Wang's inherent childhood innocence--the innocence children possess regarding lack of knowledge and world experience--with the harsh realities she experiences。 Told this way， the racism and challenges her family faces—work in sweatshops， cockroaches in their shared kitchen， language barriers， a Secret Santa at school where Qian's gift is one much less expensive than the $10 limit—are particularly stark。 Yet， even as a child， the terrifying undercurrent of deportation still affects her。 It’s a constant threat and heightens the emotions and tension throughout the narrative。Wang’s memoir is immersive—you can virtually hear the click of the cockroaches with her vivid description—and you can feel when her innocent joy is trampled。 Her use of Chinese and childhood terms of endearment help with this authenticity as well。 I loved this memoir。 Its ultimate juxtaposition--America known as a "beautiful country" versus the realities and racism Wang and her family faced coming here is hard to read about （by a progressive white women like me！）， but also a call to do better。 I'm so amazed at how she triumphed with education and becoming a writer。 Everyone needs to read this， learn from it， and take action to make our country do better。 。。。more

Susan ，

Qian Qian， or Julie， has arrived in America， Beautiful Country， only to find that it isn't quite the dream that she and her family expected。 Told through various memories from her birth through college graduation and her law clerkship， the story is of the tarnish of the American dream。 the fear of living undocumented in our country， and the continued racism that scars these new members of our society。 Though nothing new， it was so disheartening to read how a math and computer teacher was working Qian Qian， or Julie， has arrived in America， Beautiful Country， only to find that it isn't quite the dream that she and her family expected。 Told through various memories from her birth through college graduation and her law clerkship， the story is of the tarnish of the American dream。 the fear of living undocumented in our country， and the continued racism that scars these new members of our society。 Though nothing new， it was so disheartening to read how a math and computer teacher was working in a sweatshop and as a waitress and at wages that resulted in the family going hungry。 So often I felt the desire to reach out and hug Qian Julie。 Her heart is laid bare throughout the entire book。 I am thankful to have read her story and hope others read and are equally impacted by her story。Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for a copy of the book。 This review is my own opinion。 。。。more

EllenZReads ，

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。"。。。this awful， beautiful country。"The Chinese translation for America is Mei Guo， or "the beautiful country。" But the America 7 year-old Qian Qian arrives in with her mother is not all that beautiful。 Qian Julie Wang's memoir of her arrival in the United States and her experiences show the ugly side of this country--poverty， racism， and struggle， and her small family unit's distrust of anyone who was not Chine Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。"。。。this awful， beautiful country。"The Chinese translation for America is Mei Guo， or "the beautiful country。" But the America 7 year-old Qian Qian arrives in with her mother is not all that beautiful。 Qian Julie Wang's memoir of her arrival in the United States and her experiences show the ugly side of this country--poverty， racism， and struggle， and her small family unit's distrust of anyone who was not Chinese。 After joining her father， who had moved to the strange new country two years earlier， Qian Qian and her mother must learn to adjust to a very different world than the one they came from。 She describes with the innocent voice of a child the nitty gritty details of their life as "dark" or undocumented immigrants， in clear prose that brings the reader into her mind and follows her through her earliest experiences and memories of living in the United States。 I really appreciated her writing about how she found the public library， and how books opened up a whole new world to her。 Her writing about her intense hunger during the earliest months was especially poignant， as was her description of the unsympathetic sweat shops her mother worked in， with Qian Qian often by her side。Memoirs can be difficult to rate， as I find it difficult to rate someone's lived experience， but I am giving Beautiful Country five stars。 。。。more

Sharon May ，

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for gifting me this powerful memoir by Qian Julie Wang - 5 stars for a look into the immigrant life in the US。In Chinese， the characters for the US are Mei Guo， which translate into Beautiful Country。 In the 1990s， Qian's parents fled to the US hoping for a better life。 Instead of being able to use their professional degrees， they were now illegal immigrants in NYC， living in fear that they would be deported。 They now could only find work in sweatshop Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for gifting me this powerful memoir by Qian Julie Wang - 5 stars for a look into the immigrant life in the US。In Chinese， the characters for the US are Mei Guo， which translate into Beautiful Country。 In the 1990s， Qian's parents fled to the US hoping for a better life。 Instead of being able to use their professional degrees， they were now illegal immigrants in NYC， living in fear that they would be deported。 They now could only find work in sweatshops for such meager wages that they were all left starving and living in deplorable conditions。 Qian found refuge in books at the library and taught herself English by watching PBS。 The family starts to fracture under the weight。What a beautifully written story of the hardships faced by the marginalized in our society。 Qian's perseverance and drive made her a success story but it was a hard fought road with much to bear on her small shoulders。 It's an eye-opening look that children in America are starving and living in these deplorable conditions。 Definitely a must read。 。。。more

Lorena ，

I found this story both compelling and disturbing。 Reading Qian’s story has helped me understand the hardships faced by undocumented immigrants and those living in extreme poverty。 The author is very honest about the trauma she and her parents experienced and how that affected them。 I had to take a break after a few of the more difficult chapters， but I’m glad I persisted， because the story turns out well in the end （for everyone except the poor cat）。 Be aware that there are scenes of child abus I found this story both compelling and disturbing。 Reading Qian’s story has helped me understand the hardships faced by undocumented immigrants and those living in extreme poverty。 The author is very honest about the trauma she and her parents experienced and how that affected them。 I had to take a break after a few of the more difficult chapters， but I’m glad I persisted， because the story turns out well in the end （for everyone except the poor cat）。 Be aware that there are scenes of child abuse， spouse abuse， and animal abuse。 I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review。 。。。more

Carol Custer ，

I have mixed feelings about memoirs。 So many of them dwell on the 'poor me' aspects of their lives。 There's a fair amount of that here too， but with what the author went through as a child， I guess she's earned that right。 The writing is descriptive and well done although the jumping around and extensive description becomes tedious at times。It's impressive that Qian has been able to achieve all the success she has - and this is an admirable first effort at writing。 I have mixed feelings about memoirs。 So many of them dwell on the 'poor me' aspects of their lives。 There's a fair amount of that here too， but with what the author went through as a child， I guess she's earned that right。 The writing is descriptive and well done although the jumping around and extensive description becomes tedious at times。It's impressive that Qian has been able to achieve all the success she has - and this is an admirable first effort at writing。 。。。more

Celeste Miller ，

"I have been unfathomably lucky。 But I dream of a day when being recognized as human requires no luck— when it is a right， not a privilege。" This memoir is a must read。 The author's childhood experience of being undocumented in the 90s in the US should be a wake up call to many Americans。 It goes from her arrival at age 7 to when she's in middle school。 She worked in a sweatshop in NYC （at seven years old！）， she went hungry for months， she didn't go to the doctor or dentist for years， and she ta "I have been unfathomably lucky。 But I dream of a day when being recognized as human requires no luck— when it is a right， not a privilege。" This memoir is a must read。 The author's childhood experience of being undocumented in the 90s in the US should be a wake up call to many Americans。 It goes from her arrival at age 7 to when she's in middle school。 She worked in a sweatshop in NYC （at seven years old！）， she went hungry for months， she didn't go to the doctor or dentist for years， and she taught herself English by reading alone in the special needs classroom she was moved to solely because she didn't speak English。 This wasn't in the 1890s。 This was the 1990s。 I could not stop reading this memoir and I finished it in one day。 My heart broke for the author when she described being laughed at every time she told a teacher that she planned to become a lawyer when she grew up。 Spoiler alert - she did！ It also broke for her when she internalized at a young age that white and blond was the beauty standard。 This is very well written and a fast and engrossing read。 。。。more

Tralyn ，

I don’t read many memoirs and I don’t know why because I love every one I’ve read。 This particular story of a young girl from China， who immigrated to America at age 7， is parts heartbreaking and parts maddening， with humor and great storytelling to bring it all together。 This is a timeless book about a history that few “born” Americans know but it is relevant for this time in our country when crimes against Asian Americans are higher than it has been in a long time。 I applaud Qian Julie Wang fo I don’t read many memoirs and I don’t know why because I love every one I’ve read。 This particular story of a young girl from China， who immigrated to America at age 7， is parts heartbreaking and parts maddening， with humor and great storytelling to bring it all together。 This is a timeless book about a history that few “born” Americans know but it is relevant for this time in our country when crimes against Asian Americans are higher than it has been in a long time。 I applaud Qian Julie Wang for telling her story。The first thing I realized about this book is the way it is written。 I was drawn into the story and stayed there until the end。 This is another one that will stay with me for a very long time。 There are times when this reads like a book of fiction because of its lyrical movement and descriptions。 A storyteller wrote this book。The second thing I realized， quite shockingly， is that the things happening aren’t from “back in the day”， or even in the 1960’s。 They happened less than 30 years ago。 People worked in sweatshops in the United States of America in the 1990’s， where they earned pennies， could barely eat， could barely clothe themselves， and called trash picking “shopping day”。 How naive I am…The third thing I realized is that Qian Julie is from a strong and resilient family， which in turn made her strong and resilient as well。 Even in the face of terrible ridicule， xenophobia， and extreme poverty， she never lost hope。 She always seemed to find something that gave her joy。 Each of these little joys took her through her tragic childhood to the life she lives now。 Never giving up but always looking to the future。My favorite part is the author’s love for the library and books。 She took refuge there as a child and taught herself the English language。 I， too， took refuge in the library as a child to escape and learn。 I felt her joy when she talked about the books she loved to read。This is such a powerful debut and， moreover， a necessary addition to any library or bookshelf。 These stories need to be told and heard and learned from if anything is to ever change。I gave this book 5 stars and highly recommend it to any fan of the memoir or anyone interested to dig deeper into immigrants and their plight once they arrive in the “Beautiful Country”。 。。。more

Leighton ，

Thank you to Doubleday Books and GoodReads for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！Beautiful Country: A Memoir by Qian Julie Wang is an excellent #ownvoices memoir。 First off， as a reader of Asian descent， I was so excited to read this book！ The author immigrated to New York from China at a young age， and this book describes her life growing up in poverty， helping her parents with odd jobs， and dreaming of succeeding in school and eventually going to law school。 The book also deals with ha Thank you to Doubleday Books and GoodReads for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！Beautiful Country: A Memoir by Qian Julie Wang is an excellent #ownvoices memoir。 First off， as a reader of Asian descent， I was so excited to read this book！ The author immigrated to New York from China at a young age， and this book describes her life growing up in poverty， helping her parents with odd jobs， and dreaming of succeeding in school and eventually going to law school。 The book also deals with harsh themes like school bullying， racism， and being undocumented in America。 It's clear that Qian went through many dark situations during her childhood。 In the Afterword， the author states that she chose to write about her "childhood traumas，" which is an accurate depiction。 Many of the events in the book were undoubtedly traumatic to a young Qian。Here is an excerpt from the Prologue:"My story starts decades before my birth。In my father's earliest memory， he is four years old， shooting a toy gun at nearby birds。。。He approaches slowly pushing past the knees of adults encircling the tree。 In the muggy late-summer air， mosquitoes and flies swarm the hanging corpses。 The stench of decomposing flesh floods his nose。He sees on the dirt ground a single character written in blood:[◻]Wrongly accused。It is 1966 and China's Cultural Revolution has just begun。"Overall， Beautiful Country: A Memoir is a beautifully written coming-of-age tale of a young Chinese girl growing up in America。 Even though I don't typically read memoirs or nonfiction， this book maintained my interest throughout。 I had to keep reading， and I ended up finishing this book in a day。 One highlight of this book is that it's an #ownvoices book。 I hope that more authors of color are published in the future。 I took off 1 star， because I found the subject matter too depressing。 I kept looking for hope and didn't find any。 This narrator was pushed， torn down， and put into horrifying situations that sometimes reminded me of experiences I've been through。 For that reason， I did not enjoy reading this book。 If you're intrigued by the excerpt above， or if you love reading memoirs， I recommend that you check out this book， which is available in bookstores now！ 。。。more

Emily ，

Immigration policy， especially in regards to undocumented immigrants， is such a hot button issue in America。 And sometimes in the midst of all the debates， we forget that we are talking and arguing about actual human beings and their lives and well-being。 It's so easy to make it all about political policies and debates， but what I want to always be thinking about are the people affected by the political policies。 Stories like this one help me to see these issues from a human perspective and lead Immigration policy， especially in regards to undocumented immigrants， is such a hot button issue in America。 And sometimes in the midst of all the debates， we forget that we are talking and arguing about actual human beings and their lives and well-being。 It's so easy to make it all about political policies and debates， but what I want to always be thinking about are the people affected by the political policies。 Stories like this one help me to see these issues from a human perspective and lead me to be more compassionate in my response to these divisive issues。This memoir from Qian Julie Wang documents her childhood experience as an undocumented immigrant from China living in New York City。 It was well-written and insightful。 Wang shares vignettes about her early life and struggles in America， but they are pieced together chronologically so it still feels like one story。 The result is an honest and sincere memoir that offers a view of immigration from the eyes of a child who was forced to leave all that she knew of home and start over in a new country where she had nothing。The Chinese word for America is Mei Guo which means Beautiful Country。 Wang does share about the moments of beauty found in her new life in America。 But at the same time， much of her early life in America was very unbeautiful， and Wang earnestly and honestly shares about all of it。 This is an eye-opening account from a unique point of view， and I highly recommend it！ 。。。more

Casey ，

In this memoir， Qian Julie Wang describes her childhood as an undocumented immigrant in New York City after moving from China at age seven。 Her stories highlight the fear and confusion that defined her coming-of-age。 It’s heartbreaking to read about the blatant racism and xenophobia she experienced as well as the moments of invisibility。 Yet through it all， she is determined and hopeful。I can’t find the right word to describe it， but I adored her style of storytelling。 Compelling， tender， and ob In this memoir， Qian Julie Wang describes her childhood as an undocumented immigrant in New York City after moving from China at age seven。 Her stories highlight the fear and confusion that defined her coming-of-age。 It’s heartbreaking to read about the blatant racism and xenophobia she experienced as well as the moments of invisibility。 Yet through it all， she is determined and hopeful。I can’t find the right word to describe it， but I adored her style of storytelling。 Compelling， tender， and observant would all apply。 I flew through this because I was so drawn to her voice and journey。This is a remarkable memoir that will tug at your heartstrings。 I highly recommend it！ 。。。more

Mindy Christianson ，

Wow。 What a moving memoir。 Highly recommend！

Melissa ，

This is a beautifully written memoir that tells the story of the first few years of the author's life as an immigrant in NYC。 There is so much love layered with sorrow and joy and frustration and life lessons。 From the simple pleasures of cooking with her mother or finding places to read Babysitters Club books for free to the struggles between her parents or the constant hunger pains， everything was detailed in such a way that you felt like you were there with her counting out change for that He This is a beautifully written memoir that tells the story of the first few years of the author's life as an immigrant in NYC。 There is so much love layered with sorrow and joy and frustration and life lessons。 From the simple pleasures of cooking with her mother or finding places to read Babysitters Club books for free to the struggles between her parents or the constant hunger pains， everything was detailed in such a way that you felt like you were there with her counting out change for that Hello Kitty pencil or having to sit with the creepy guy in McDonalds。 This is one I read slowly so I could savor all of the moments。 。。。more

Melissa Levens ，

Beautiful CountryAuthor， Qian Julie WangPublisher: DoubledayPub date: September 7， 2021Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday publishers for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful e- ARC！ This unique memoir allows readers to experience at an emotional and personal level what it was like for Qian Julie to immigrate from China to the Beautiful Country， or Mei Guo in Chinese。 Qian and her mother arrive in NYC when she is just seven years old to reunite with her father who fled to America two Beautiful CountryAuthor， Qian Julie WangPublisher: DoubledayPub date: September 7， 2021Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday publishers for the opportunity to read and review this beautiful e- ARC！ This unique memoir allows readers to experience at an emotional and personal level what it was like for Qian Julie to immigrate from China to the Beautiful Country， or Mei Guo in Chinese。 Qian and her mother arrive in NYC when she is just seven years old to reunite with her father who fled to America two years prior。 Her proud parents， who were professors in China， were forced to labor in the shadows of Chinatown- her mother in sweatshops and various other jobs and her father doing laundry work- all for barely livable earnings。 They struggled to make ends meet， were often hungry， and had an immensely difficult time blending in with society and learning to understand and speak English。 Qian sought solace in the library where she learned to read and to speak English in order to fit in at school- her first friends being the fictional characters in the books that she read。 Written from Qian's perspective as a child， the reader is brought back to childhood through the pains of fitting in at school， loving a first pet， being scared to walk alone， arguments between her parents， insecurities and disappointments， field trips and many first experiences。 However， Quia's experiences are quite different than most American childhoods。 Qian was pained with living in perpetual fear of being "illegal" and constantly having to worry that they'd be sent back to China。 Her father drilled into her to constantly to repeat the mantra that she was born in America and they have always lived here。 This became even more necessary when Qian's mother experienced incredible abdominal pain and was admitted into the hospital for several weeks。 This experience caused the family to pull farther from each other and was heartbreaking to read the constant trauma that Qian suffered as a result of her very unfortunate and lonely circumstances。 Racism， poverty， xenophobia， complex family dynamics， challenges at school， and fear are just a few of the barriers that forced Qian to retreat into books， PBS， and American toys of the time- Polly Pockets and Tamagaotchis。 Selfless， loyal， and resilient， Qian was determined to care for her parents and force the world to see her for all that she is on the inside， rather than just what she looks like on the outside。 A powerful， heavy， and emotional debut that was heartbreaking， yet admirable。 The author's note brought tears to my eyes- an absolute must read memoir。 4。5 stars！ 。。。more

Laura Pal ，

Does this title refer to the United States of America or Canada？ Qian and her family’s life greatly improves after they relocate to Canada…This memoir of a Chinese girl’s journey to America as seen through her naïve views starts out written by this very scared girl in a youthful dialect and ends with a very mature， well-rounded woman who has absorbed every punch and burst of sunshine that the life she made for herself has given her。 She was just 7 years old when her well-educated parents left Ch Does this title refer to the United States of America or Canada？ Qian and her family’s life greatly improves after they relocate to Canada…This memoir of a Chinese girl’s journey to America as seen through her naïve views starts out written by this very scared girl in a youthful dialect and ends with a very mature， well-rounded woman who has absorbed every punch and burst of sunshine that the life she made for herself has given her。 She was just 7 years old when her well-educated parents left China one at a time for the US。 They moved to Brooklyn， where her “Baba” taught her “that fun was to be relished， in part， because you never knew when it would end。” As a child living in poverty， Mei Guo （America） was nothing like what she had been promised。 She and her mother worked in a sweatshop and “Ma Ma” made three cents for each piece that she made one cent for。 “Ma Ma was not meant to work in a sweatshop。 She was the most beautiful person in the world。 To me， she was the sun， a mug of steamed milk on a cold winter’s night， everything warm。”Her story goes on to describe not only her school and family experiences but also her encounters with the cruel people and her heart-wrenching experiences that paved her life story since she was poor and often hungry。 A well-documented life story and one that unfortunately probably resonates well with other immigrants。 Slow for me in the beginning， it’s a genuine story worth reading， which shows how the author relied on her family throughout her lonely childhood to help her find the courage within herself and the true meaning of love。 。。。more

Donna Huber ，

A beautiful story - very poignant。 I was teary-eyed several times。 Immigration is a complex web of legalities， politics， and morality that we often lose sight of the individuals that are deeply affected by it。 Read my full review at Girl Who Reads。 A beautiful story - very poignant。 I was teary-eyed several times。 Immigration is a complex web of legalities， politics， and morality that we often lose sight of the individuals that are deeply affected by it。 Read my full review at Girl Who Reads。 。。。more

Britt ，

I don’t know how any review I could write would do this book justice。 But I’ll try。 I don't think I've ever read such a brilliant memoir。 BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY is absolutely phenomenal - a story of childhood that should ascend among the ranks of THE GLASS CASTLE and EDUCATED。 Beautifully written in lurid prose， Qian Julie Wang dives into the deepest hurts and the takes wing on the highest hopes of the five years she spent as an undocumented immigrant in New York City。 From devouring The Baby-sitters I don’t know how any review I could write would do this book justice。 But I’ll try。 I don't think I've ever read such a brilliant memoir。 BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY is absolutely phenomenal - a story of childhood that should ascend among the ranks of THE GLASS CASTLE and EDUCATED。 Beautifully written in lurid prose， Qian Julie Wang dives into the deepest hurts and the takes wing on the highest hopes of the five years she spent as an undocumented immigrant in New York City。 From devouring The Baby-sitters Club at NYPL and curling up with Marilyn the cat to standing in line for rice at the sweatshops and sitting at St。 Vincent's awaiting the results of Ma Ma's surgery， it is near-impossible not to feel inside this story as Wang tells it。 An absolute must-read - captivating on audio and print alike。 。。。more

Melanie ，

Beautiful Country is a raw， heartbreaking， yet captivating memoir。 I was completely immersed as soon as I read the prologue at the beginning。 Reading how when things got bad in the author’s life， she would dream she would write her family’s stories down so others like them would know they were not alone and they， too， could be survivors， pulled at my heart and emotions strongly。 It is so incredibly sad， scary， and WRONG how Qian’s family， and so many others， were treated so unfairly， unnecessari Beautiful Country is a raw， heartbreaking， yet captivating memoir。 I was completely immersed as soon as I read the prologue at the beginning。 Reading how when things got bad in the author’s life， she would dream she would write her family’s stories down so others like them would know they were not alone and they， too， could be survivors， pulled at my heart and emotions strongly。 It is so incredibly sad， scary， and WRONG how Qian’s family， and so many others， were treated so unfairly， unnecessarily， and unjustly。 It makes me sick and so angry。 To think of the things that this woman and family endured is horrific， and I commend her for sharing her story to the world， for opening our eyes， for educating us。 She is amazingly strong and powerful， courageous and resilient。 She IS a survivor and I love that she is reaching out to other undocumented people around her to help them survive as well， to not give up， to be able to find and make a home in America。This was not an easy read yet it was expertly written and captivating。 It was easy to fall for Qian， and feel such emotion for her。 I loved her naïveté， her energy， her hope。 Even when starving and at her lowest， she still had a burning drive and determination and it absolutely carried her through those dark years。 This is such a powerful and important memoir and I highly recommend that everyone read it。 I have no doubt this will be a bestseller and will be a memoir that will be talked about for a long， long time。 I hope that Qian’s dream comes true and that her work will help others become survivors just like her。 。。。more

Bkwmlee ，

I’m quite picky when it comes to memoirs and tend to gravitate towards those where I am able to either relate to the experiences of the author or connect with them in some way。 While there are a plethora of memoirs out there， the reality is that very few of those memoirs are actually written from the perspective of someone who shares a similar background as myself — namely， a Chinese-American woman from an immigrant family who has struggled with identity and belonging her entire life。 This is wh I’m quite picky when it comes to memoirs and tend to gravitate towards those where I am able to either relate to the experiences of the author or connect with them in some way。 While there are a plethora of memoirs out there， the reality is that very few of those memoirs are actually written from the perspective of someone who shares a similar background as myself — namely， a Chinese-American woman from an immigrant family who has struggled with identity and belonging her entire life。 This is why， when I found out about Qian Julie Wang’s memoir Beautiful Country， I knew I absolutely had to pick this one up。 This powerful memoir is exactly one of those rare gems that most closely encapsulates the immigrant experience that I grew up with。 Though there are obvious differences between our circumstances in terms of how are families came to America （the titular “beautiful country” as directly translated from Chinese） — for example， my family immigrated here legally while Wang’s family ended up here illegally due to an expired visa — many of the struggles that Wang recounts from her childhood are ones that I’ve also experienced。 Wang tells her story starting from the perspective of her seven-year-old self， when she is told to put her most prized possessions into her grandparents’ storage unit in China so she could accompany her mother on a “flying machine” （literal translation of 飛機 or “airplane”） that eventually lands in a place called “beautiful country” （literal translation of 美國 or “America”）。 From the moment Wang and her mother step off the plane at JFK airport （New York） and are reunited with her father （who had gone to America two years earlier）， her life is forever changed in ways that eventually shape who she becomes in adulthood。 Though she didn’t know it at the time， leaving China for America meant that Wang would go from an environment where she was surrounded by extended family， unconditional love， and every comfort possible， to one where loneliness was a constant companion， familial love came with strings attached， and every day was a fight for survival at all levels （physically， mentally， emotionally）。 We witness Wang’s coming of age through the wide-eyed lens of a child forced to navigate a world she does not understand and where she was taught to put her head down， do as she was told， and endure whatever was thrown her way without complaint because that was the expectation of someone in her situation。 While in China， Wang’s parents were highly educated professionals， in America they were reduced to working in sweatshops and other low-paying jobs that allowed them to remain in the shadows， with the constant fear of their illegal status being discovered hanging over them。 The stress of their new life in a foreign country where， despite their efforts to remain invisible， they are still largely unwelcomed， takes a toll on Wang’s parents and eventually leads to the fracturing of their family。 Illegal status aside though， Wang’s struggles growing up as an immigrant child resonated deeply with me — from the humiliation of a tenuous living situation where there was little to no privacy， to not being able to afford the most basic of comforts that seemed to come easily to everyone else （ie: enough food for the table， a roof over our heads， clean clothes to wear to school）; to being constantly told that， no matter how hard you work to fit in or how much you contribute to your community， you will never truly belong; to the bullying and racism， both subtle and direct， that becomes an inevitable part of the immigrant experience。 For me， this book was difficult to read — not because of challenging subject matter or anything like that — but because of the familiarity of Wang’s experiences and the memories they brought back of my own childhood。 One experience in particular had me near tears when I read it: the scene where， in fifth grade， Wang is summoned to her （white male） teacher’s desk one day and， shown an essay she had written and submitted， is essentially accused of plagiarism because the essay was “too well written” and the English was “too good” to have been written by her。 Even though she told her teacher that she truly did write the essay and didn’t plagiarize， her status meant that she was not to be believed， so after that incident， Wang would deliberately include spelling and grammatical errors in all her essays to avoid having to endure a similar confrontation with her teacher in the future。 This scene resonated with me in particular because this was a common experience for me throughout my entire elementary and middle school education: being told that something I wrote couldn’t possibly have been written by me because the English was “too good” and that I must have copied it from elsewhere。 As a result， I also started deliberately including “errors” in my writing to avoid confrontation。 Luckily， I later attended a high school and college that embraced diversity and eventually recognized my efforts （though the shaken confidence in how I view my writing is something that I still carry with me to this day）。This was truly a profound and emotional read for me， one that I know will stay with me for a long time to come。 Even though reading this memoir brought back some unhappy memories for me， I appreciate the fact that a book like this one exists。 While I am buoyed by the knowledge that our country has come a long way in terms of racial diversity and acceptance， at the same time， I am saddened by the obvious steps backwards that we as a society have also taken in this area， over the past few years especially。 Now more than ever， we need books like this one that can hopefully help open people’s eyes to the plight that so many in our society experience — a timely read that I absolutely recommend！Received ARC from Doubleday Books via Edelweiss。 。。。more

Suzanne ，

Immigrant stories remain so constant over time that author Qian Julie Wang could have removed the specific references to recent time and BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY could have been written at any time during the last century。 She feels enraged over the poverty， hunger and struggle she and her family experienced; but I’m not sure who she blames。 China for causing the unjust origins， or the U。S。 for not solving everything that her family suffers。 I agree her family suffers。 And she writes exceptionally well Immigrant stories remain so constant over time that author Qian Julie Wang could have removed the specific references to recent time and BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY could have been written at any time during the last century。 She feels enraged over the poverty， hunger and struggle she and her family experienced; but I’m not sure who she blames。 China for causing the unjust origins， or the U。S。 for not solving everything that her family suffers。 I agree her family suffers。 And she writes exceptionally well about everything they， and she， experienced。I wish she offered policy suggestions。 She seems uniquely suited to provide suggestions。 But she describes worlds my father and his parents experienced but from a different country of origin。 They had similar misery getting set up here。 That was almost 75 years ago; how can so little change？ Part of me also wonders why this couldn’t be a YA book since the focus is all on her below Middle School。 Maybe that could be a change agent in the face of such longstanding problems。 The book is good and engrossing。 The author is talented and sure to write more。 I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more

Melissa Jordan ，

A Chinese immigrant story on the relentless effort to hide and survive when faced with hostility in New York City。 This was a heart aching retelling of Wong’s early experience being constantly hungry， working in sweatshops with her mom， and terrified of being caught by authorities。 It was a difficult book to read but so well done。 I really enjoyed her story。Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for eARC！

Tonstant Weader ，

Beautiful Country is a memoir of a woman whose parents overstayed their visa making the three of them undocumented immigrants， a family living in fear of deportation back to China。 She begins her story as a child in China， her recollections are those of a child， her loving grandparents and extended family， her parents with good careers， a world of color， delicious food， and a neighborhood of friendly people doting on her。But her father’s family had been politically persecuted and he felt at risk Beautiful Country is a memoir of a woman whose parents overstayed their visa making the three of them undocumented immigrants， a family living in fear of deportation back to China。 She begins her story as a child in China， her recollections are those of a child， her loving grandparents and extended family， her parents with good careers， a world of color， delicious food， and a neighborhood of friendly people doting on her。But her father’s family had been politically persecuted and he felt at risk as well。 He left for the United States （Beautiful Country in Chinese） and then later， her mother and she followed。 In New York City they lived in poverty。 Her mother was a college professor in China and worked in a sewing sweatshop in America。Wang’s memoir is alternately hilarious and heartbreaking。 It is full of the adorable misunderstandings of being a child that will make you laugh out loud。 There is also the pain of poverty and the constant fear of police。 Through her eyes， we see how the constant pressure on her parents damaged their marriage and put them all at risk。Beautiful Country is a fast-paced and enjoyable memoir。 The pain and fear of being undocumented are balanced by the several humorous incidents of childhood。 These stories have the feeling of often-told family stories。 Many were probably recounted to her a hundred times by her parents， “Remember when you…” stories。 The stories of her own fears are much fresher， feeling as though they come from intense memories。 I enjoyed this book very much。 I hope she also writes a memoir of her family’s years in Canada。Beautiful Country will be released on September 17th。 I received an e-galley through NetGalley。Beautiful Country at DoubledayQian Julie Wang on Linked Inhttps://tonstantweaderreviews。wordpre。。。 。。。more

Guillermo Perez ，

Beautiful Country is the story of Qian Julie and her Ma Ma and Ba Ba's immigration from China to the United states told through Julie and the various struggles the family endured: poverty， the longing for their country of origin and trying to succeed while the odds are stacked against you。 This book was relatable in SO MANY WAYS; having come to the United States myself as a child and having to adopt a new language in a classroom where no one else spoke spanish， having to take extra courses to re Beautiful Country is the story of Qian Julie and her Ma Ma and Ba Ba's immigration from China to the United states told through Julie and the various struggles the family endured: poverty， the longing for their country of origin and trying to succeed while the odds are stacked against you。 This book was relatable in SO MANY WAYS; having come to the United States myself as a child and having to adopt a new language in a classroom where no one else spoke spanish， having to take extra courses to re-learn what I once knew。 There was always that looming fear of authority as well being always told to be the best person you can be， say you're American always and staying in your lane while trying to outshine everyone around you but not too much because then you'd garner too much attention; a conflict most immigrant children can relate to。 I absolutely loved the story telling and found myself connected to Julie in her struggles and victories and it was nice to hear that though she came from a completely different country the things we （latino immigrants） went through are not exclusive to us but endured by thousands of people from all walks of life that come to the United States in search for the American dream while quickly realizing the road to get there is harder than it seemed。 It's also been incredibly nice to see Asian authors flourish this year and have so many great stories coming out that are wildly entertaining while offering a different POV from our own。 Do yourself a favor and read this！ It was a fun， funny and poignant。 。。。more

Megan ，

I was encapsulated by Beautiful Country from the moment I started it and finished it in one sitting because once I started I couldn’t put it down。 The author’s ability to convey atmosphere and emotion in such subtle and sophisticated ways is so special and adds to the ease of getting lost in her story telling。 I hope everyone reads this book。 I have a feeling this book is going to have a profound impact on discourse surrounding the American immigrant experience and foster greater understanding a I was encapsulated by Beautiful Country from the moment I started it and finished it in one sitting because once I started I couldn’t put it down。 The author’s ability to convey atmosphere and emotion in such subtle and sophisticated ways is so special and adds to the ease of getting lost in her story telling。 I hope everyone reads this book。 I have a feeling this book is going to have a profound impact on discourse surrounding the American immigrant experience and foster greater understanding and empathy。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Beautiful Country: A Memoir

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Beautiful Country: A Memoir&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Beautiful Country: A Memoir&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0