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A Beautiful Country

By Qian Julie Wang
Edition

Hardcover edition

Publisher Penguin Random House Imprint Doubleday (Adult) ISBN

9780385547215

A Beautiful Country

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Out of stock
SKU
9780385547215J
CONTENT NOTIFICATIONS

Crime: Against Children,Discrimination: Racial Insensitivity/Racism,Language: Strong Language,Sexual Content: Mild Sexual Content/Themes,Social Issue: Harsh Realities of Life,Violence: Cruelty to Animals,Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse

The moving story of an undocumented child living in poverty in the richest country in the world—an incandescent debut from an astonishing new talent.



“Heartrending, unvarnished, and powerfully courageous, this account of growing up undocumented in America will never leave you."—Gish Jen, author of The Resisters.



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, 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 work in sweatshops and sushi factories. Instead of laughing at her jokes or watching her sing and dance, they fight constantly. Qian goes to school hungry, where she teaches herself English through library books, her only source of comfort. At home, Qian’s headstrong and resilient Ma Ma ignores her own pain until she’s unable to stand, too afraid of the cost and attention a hospital visit might bring. And yet, young Qian, now acting as her mother’s nurse, her family’s translator, a student and a worker, cannot ask for help. The number-one rule in America still stands: To be noticed is to risk losing everything.



Searing and unforgettable, Beautiful Country is 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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Adult Crossover Nonfiction Plus (Grades 11 & Up)

Adult Crossover Nonfiction Plus

Adult Crossover Nonfiction Plus (Grades 11 & Up)

For Grades 11 & Up

For the more advanced high school reader who is ready for adult reading and enjoys nonfiction, our ACN Category is a great choice. With more sophisticated and challenging themes, these books open up new worlds for teen readers. Help them experience a new world monthly with the 14 books in ACN.

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Interests

Diversity, Mature Readers, LGBTQ+, Nonfiction, Biographies, History

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