Summary: An engaging, informative, personal story, enlivened by the author's close involvement in the events she describes.
"Nearly three years ago, joSummary: An engaging, informative, personal story, enlivened by the author's close involvement in the events she describes.
"Nearly three years ago, journalist Lauren Hilgers received an unexpected call. Hello, Lauren! a man shouted in halting Mandarin. We might be seeing you in New York again soon! The voice belonged to Zhuang Liehong, a Chinese man who had been arrested in his home country for leading a string of protests, and whom Hilgers had met the previous year while reporting a story. Despite zero contacts and a shaky grasp of English, Zhuang explained that he and his wife, Little Yan, had a plan to escape from their American tour group and move to Flushing, Queens, to escape persecution back home. A few weeks later, they arrived on Hilgers's doorstep."(source)
To an extent, what I have to say about this book feels like what I have to say about every good work of narrative nonfiction. It had all of the elements I look for - lots of detail, strong characterizations, and an engaging story. However, I think there are a few things the author did particularly well that deserve more description. One of the main strengths of this book was how embedded the author was in the lives of Zhuang and Little Yan. The level of detail she's able to provide is clearly only possible because she was often with them for the events she describes. She's able to give us a close perspective on their personal feelings, even about intimate topics such as how their relationship was strained by immigration-related challenges. Even when Zhuang is overly controlling, the author is able to show his perspective fairly and with empathy, but without justifying his treatment of Little Yan.
The author also did a good job creating a clear story arc here. Everything doesn't become perfect for Zhuang and Little Yan by the end of the book, but they definitely adjust to their new lives over time. Where the story wrapped up felt like a reasonable end point. The combination of Zhuang's background as an activist with his immigration story was handled well too. I was equally invested in both stories. It was clear that the author had managed to speak to many of the people involved in Zhuang's earlier life, when she wasn't present. This provided valuable context and made it easier to understand Zhuang's choices around immigration and establishing a new life.
Of course, another major reason I enjoyed this story was because it showed me a part of life in the US that I knew nothing about. I've been wanting to learn more about the immigration experience. For anyone else also looking to learn, I'd recommend this personal perspective as a great place to start.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
Summary: This was beautifully written and very clever in its engagement with current social issues.
White Teeth is a family saga that follows two very Summary: This was beautifully written and very clever in its engagement with current social issues.
White Teeth is a family saga that follows two very different families as they deal with issues related to faith, immigration, and belonging. "At the center of this [story] are two unlikely friends, Archie Jones and Samad Iqbal... A second marriage to Clara Bowden, a beautiful, albeit tooth-challenged, Jamaican half his age, quite literally gives Archie a second lease on life, and produces Irie, a knowing child whose personality doesn’t quite match her name (Jamaican for “no problem”). Samad’s late-in-life arranged marriage (he had to wait for his bride to be born), produces twin sons whose separate paths confound Iqbal’s every effort to direct them, and a renewed, if selective, submission to his Islamic faith." (source)
This is the second time I've read this book. It's unusual for me to do a re-read, but I've decided to do a deep dive on Zadie Smith and read all of her books in publication order. My reaction was similar this time around, although I did approach the book a bit more thoughtfully. The writing was even better than I remembered. A lot of her word choices do double duty, conveying prosaic plot details and simultaneously making the reader consider deeper issues through symbolism or secondary definitions. She's a master at humorously, sharply skewering racist, sexist, and/or anti-immigrant sentiments.
Unfortunately, as on my last read, I found the ending a bit of a letdown. Throughout the book, the author explores the idea of roots and how the past influences the present. We follow multiple threads backwards and forwards in time. When they all finally converge at the end, I wanted so much from that moment! Instead, most of the players who have gathered together end up having no role in the last scene. The author also leaves many personal conflicts completely unresolved. I could see the ending working better for someone who doesn't mind ambiguous endings, but it wasn't for me.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
Loading...
