Jane Kuo

Eleven-year-old Ai Shi is excited about her family's move from Taiwan to California, where she'll be known as Anna. Reality, however, is more difficult than she had pictured. Her parents are struggling to make their new restaurant profitable after a business deal with a friend falls through. Kids at school bully her and make fun of her lunch food, and vandals target the restaurant. Maybe coming to the "Beautiful Country" wasn't such a great idea after all?

This verse novel for young readers show more is based on the author's personal experience, and is a lovely portrayal of the immigrant experience and the difficulties that can arise. I found it a little sparse, but sometimes the verse did feel like poetry (always my first criteria in dealing with verse novels: is there a reason for the verse format, or is it just chopped-up prose?). I'd probably recommend Kelly Yang's Front Desk before this one. show less

A novel in verse of a year in the life of Zhang Ai Shi (Anna), who moves with her parents from China to California in hopes of a better life. The restaurant they've bought, however, isn't as profitable as they were led to believe, and vandals repeatedly target them; they also struggle with the language, and at school, Anna is bullied by racist classmates. Connecting with other immigrants at church helps somewhat, but even better is their friendship with grocery clerk Terry and her family. show more After a year during which none of them are sure if they'll stay or go, Anna's English improves, Terry's husband Don scares away the vandals, and Anna's mother begins putting her own spin on American recipes, causing business to pick up.

See also: Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Quotes

I don't know what it means to miss a place.
This is the only place I've known. (8)

Years from now when I look at [my cousin] Mei,
will I see what my life would have been like
if I'd never left? (20)

Sometimes we don't get to choose
how we say goodbye. (21)

I'd like to have friends
but I'll settle
for being left alone. (78)

I have the words,
I just don't have the courage. (81)

And a person,
can a person feel two different emotions,
can a person be both grateful and sad,
at exactly the same time? (117)

I see what my life
would have been like
if we'd never left. (181)

The secret to making friends
is not to care so much
about what other people think. (265)

The secret to getting people to like you
is to like yourself. (265) show less

Beautifully written, with strong emotions that shine through. I particularly loved that even while Anna's parents were struggling with their business and with each other, they gave her coping strategies that seemed to help. Also that Anna is sophisticated enough to see that there is a cycle of hurt that gets expressed in bullying and hatred, and finds her own way out of that cycle. Powerful. Love that it is based on the author's own experiences.

Anna's parents have purchased a restaurant property in California and the family moves from Taiwan to Duarte, CA, hoping for a new life "in the beautiful country" that is America. But they struggle to make money because of the seller's deception about the restaurant's potential, business is slow, and vandalism adds to their costs. The family doesn't quite fit in at the Chinese church and Anna is bullied at school. Anger, frustration, exhaustion, and fear batter the family until they reach show more the point that they decide it is time to sell and return to Taiwan. Amidst the darkness of being strangers in a strange land are small moments of light: friendships with Richard and Terry, fellowship at the Chinese church, a trip to Disneyland, a new friend at school. Heartwrenching and hopeful. show less