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UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Category Archives: Immigration
After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America – Jessica Goudeau
(reviewed by Ann Onymous ) The subtitle of the book refers to “Refuge in America” but is there REFUGE to be found? They are REFUGEES but they are not experiencing the “condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Non-fiction, Reviewers' Top Picks, World Issues
Tagged immigration, refugees
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Great Again – Bill Day
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Ex-Marine Jack O’Mally is divorced and estranged from his adult daughter. He just can’t accept that she is married to a black musician and living in California. Jack is captain of his New Jersey neighborhood watch, … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Political fiction, World Issues
Tagged El Salvador, immigrants, racism, undocumented, Xenophobia
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An important UnderratedRead Revisited: My (Underground) American Dream – Julissa Arce
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “In less than two weeks there was more than a good chance my secret would finally be exposed—the secret that could ruin my life, that could send me to jail, that could end my career before … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Immigration, World Issues
Tagged DACA, Dream act, illegal immigration, immigration, Mexico
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Selamlik – Khaled Alesmael (translated from the Arabic by Leri Price)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I am so glad I was born in Syria and get to be young in Damascus, no matter the fear and danger. I love Damascus even if she is cruel to me.” Our narrator Furat lives … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Middle Eastern Literature, Scandinavian Literature, World Issues
Tagged homoerotic, LGBTQ, refugees, Religion, Sweden, Syria, Syrian civil war
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The Coin – Yasmin Zaher
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…in my family, America was both the key and the curse.” Our narrator, who is from a wealthy Palestinian family moved to New York after her parents died. She was left with an inheritance of which … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Middle Eastern Literature, World Literature
Tagged immigration, New York, obsession
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Wait: A Novel – Gabriella Burnham
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “They threw me out of the country like I was a nothing.” Wait delves into the intricate layers of family, identity, and the harsh realities faced by undocumented immigrants in the United States. Through … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Modern Literary Fiction, World Issues
Tagged Brazil, class, immigration
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Down with the Poor! – Shumona Sinha, translated by Teresa Lavender Fagan
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…the same stories and the same bodies blended in my head, lost all definition and all form, became a dark and shapeless mass of giant bodies, that growled, shouted, demanded, cried, pleaded. Were they inventing a … Continue reading
Posted in French Literature, Immigration, World Issues
Tagged immigration, imperialism, Misogyny, refugees
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Central Places – Delia Cai
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Twenty-seven-year-old Audrey Zhou is leading a life most of us would be envious of. Living in New York City as a sales rep for a newspaper, she has many friends and is engaged to a … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged immigrants, relationships
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Hotel Splendide – Ludwig Bemelmans
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned The comical 1941 out-of-print memoir of author and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans (1898- 1962) has just been re-released by Puskin Press. Bemelmans would later write the Madeline children’s book series. However, this memoir covers his few … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Immigration, Non-fiction
Tagged American History, humor, immigration, memoir, New York
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