#MMGM: In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo
REVIEW
Anna looks forward to moving to 'the beautiful country', the Chinese name for America. After getting haircuts, she and her ma pack everything they can into six suitcases, leaving behind her pile of books, she can get new ones in 'the beautiful country'. But the happily ever after she's expecting turns into a rather miserable reality very quickly. She faces bullying at her new school, the new apartment is tiny and uncomfortable, and her parents' struggle to get their new business, a restaurant, off the ground. A foam mat for a bed, a black-and-white TV, and racist vandalism add to her families challenges. This novel-in-verse tells Anna's story as she struggles to adapt to a place and circumstances very different than what's she's known before and that is very different than what she expected to find in America. My heart practically broke for her as she tries to help her parents at the restaurant while also adjusting to a new school, a new language, and new food. The beautiful writing highlights the frustration and hurt she experiences as the only Taiwanese American in her school and one boy in particular targets her for bullying. One poem in particular highlights the challenges she faces by talking about her two names: Anna and Ai Shi, she feels as divided as her two names, one American and one Chinese. The question remains through most of the book, can Anna (Ai Shi) and her family adjust to this new place or will they quit and return to Taiwan. The author does a phenomenal job of bringing Anna to life with all her frustrations, dreams, and confusion. The choice of free verse was inspired as it brings the reader right into the heart of Anna (Ai Shi). It was impossible not to feel compassion for her and her family as they struggle to make a business and a home. Thankfully, despite the ongoing challenges that Anna (Ai Shi) and her family face, there is a hopeful ending as they begin to find some success and Anna and her family find ways to stand up to the bullies. A follow-up novel comes out in June 2023 called Land of Broken Promises that I look forward to reading as I look to find out what happens to Anna and her family.
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