Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Elegant, surprising stories about Palestinian immigrants in Canada navigating their identities in circumstances that push them to the emotional brink.

Saeed Teebi’s intense, engrossing stories plunge into the lives of characters grappling with their experiences as Palestinian immigrants to Canada. A doctor teaches his girlfriend about his country, only for her to fall into a consuming obsession with the Middle East conflict. A math professor risks his family’s destruction by slandering the king of a despotic, oil-rich country. A university student invents an imaginary girlfriend to fit in with his callous, womanizing roommates. A lawyer takes on the impossible mission of becoming a body smuggler. A lonely widower travels to Russia in search of a movie starlet he met in his youth in historical Jaffa. A refugee who escaped violent circumstances rebels against the kindness of his sponsor. These taut and compelling stories engage the immigrant experience and reflect the Palestinian diaspora with grace and insight.

Review:

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Her First Palestinian, by Saeed Teebi.  I often find the short story format to be less than satisfying.  Just as you start to know who the characters are, the story is finished.  But I found this collection of short stories immediately compelling.  Each story is complete and satisfying to the reader. I could see this as a movie.

What I liked:

Format/Setting:

I am usually not a fan of the short story format.  But this device is used to great effect by the author in this book.  Instead of looking at how they came to be in Canada, the stories focus on the immediate issues at hand: relationships with non-Palestinians, fitting in with other Canadians, and guilt for leaving family behind.  

I have lived in other countries, and I can tell you that it is a challenge to find ways to fit in.  Often, expats gravitate towards other expats for the comfort and familiarity of speaking their  native language.  It takes a lot to integrate into another society, and I have tremendous respect for people who do that.  This book grapples with that challenge to figure out social norms, while still retaining your own sense of self.

Characters:

There is so much variation to the different characters.  The reader will feel empathy with some, but not all, of them.  This is smart.  Not every immigrant will be a good person.  I'm thinking of one story in particular.  This person is a stalker!  But his being a creep is not because he is from Palestine, it's because he is just a bad person.  Every society has them (sadly).  I appreciated that the author shows the good, and the bad, of human nature.

But most of the characters have dilemmas that are extremely relatable.  The moral choices we make at work when we realize our company is doing something repugnant.  The feelings of being used by another in a relationship.  The guilt we have if we've been successful while others in our family are struggling.  The particular situations in this book may be unique to Palestinian immigrants, but the underlying emotions are universal.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  August 2nd, 2022

Author:  Saeed Teebi

Publisher:  Astoria Books

Genre: Contemporary Short Stories

Page Length:  256 Pages

Format:  E-Book

Source: Edelweiss

Recommendation: This is a very worthwhile reading experience.  Although each situation is unique to Palestinians, I could empathize with most of the characters. Showing immigrants as people may seem obvious, but it is still needed in today's society.  Read this enriching book.

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Prizewinning and bestselling writer Luis Urrea has written his Mexican coming-to-America story and his masterpiece. Destined to sit alongside other classic immigrant novels, THE HOUSE OF BROKEN ANGELS is a sprawling and epic family saga helmed by patriarch Big Angel. The novel gathers together the entire De La Cruz clan, as they meet for the final birthday party Big Angel is throwing for himself, at home in San Diego, as he nears the end of his struggle with cancer and reflects on his long and full life.

But when Big Angel's mother, Mama America, approaching one hundred, dies herself as the party nears, he must plan her funeral as well. There will be two family affairs in one weekend: a farewell double-header. Among the attendants is his half-brother and namesake, Little Angel, who comes face to face with the siblings with whom he shared a father but not, as the weekend proceeds to remind him, a life.

This story of the De La Cruzes is the story of what it means to be a Mexican in America, to have lived two lives across one border. It is a tale of the ravaging power of death to shore up the bits of life you have forgotten, whether by choice or not. Above all, this finely wrought portrait of a deeply complex family and the America they have come to call home is Urrea at his purest and best. Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, THE HOUSE OF BROKEN ANGELS cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank. 

Review:
Luis Alberto Urrea is one of my favorite authors.  He is the product of a Mexican father and a Caucasian mother, so I have feel an immediate kinship with his books.  The House of Broken Angels, I think is the author's most powerful book yet, and has quickly become my new favorite.  With a large cast of familial characters, Urrea perfectly captures the drama, and entertainment value, of Mexican family gatherings.


Narration:
This is a book where one MUST listen to the audio book to get the greatest enjoyment!!!  And the novel is narrated by no other than... The author, himself!  Hearing this book told in the author's voice brings to life every sentence with the perfect emphasis and intonation.   Urrea's delivery is at varying times funny, biting, and rather sexy!

Setting & Story:
The book is centered around a funeral, and then a blow-out birthday party for the main character, Big Angel.  Mexican milestones are big affairs, filled with music, food, laughter, and family drama.  With these occasions as a backdrop, we get to know all the members of the extended De La Cruz family.  Each has a compelling story.

All of the backstories converge into an epic event at the final birthday party of Big Angel.  The climatic scene is full of suspense, and loads of humor, as we see a series of events lead to a confrontation for the ages!  

Characters:
The story is told from the point of view of the main character, Big Angel.  His observations of his family are full of love, and acid.  As his life is drawing to a close (he is dying of cancer), he thinks back on his life, his marriage, and his children.  He is both proud and full of regret.  

I loved the book's depiction of Angel and Pella's long marriage.  This is an enduring relationship full of love, sex, and appreciation.  While their habits may drive each other crazy, husband and wife are still in love.

But the story also takes turns with points of view's of each of Big Angel's family.  I loved how we learn more about Big Angel through all the other stories.  Put together, this is a rich tapestry of a large, wonderful family.



Rating: 





Release Date:  March 6th, 2018

Genre:  General Fiction

Publisher:  Hachette Audio

Narrator:  Luis Alberto Urrea

Listening Length:  9 Hours, 46 Minutes

Page Length:  336 Pages

Format:  Audio Book

Source: Public Library

Recommendation: A must read (listen) for fans of Luis Alberto Urrea.  This is a sweeping tale of a Mexican family.  I loved it.


 

For those who venture to settle in a new country, it is often a struggle to assimilate into a new culture.  Languages, traditions, food: it's all different.  I have experienced this myself when I moved to Japan for three years.  Luckily, I was met with open arms by the local Japanese people.  Of course, this is not always the case.  Here are three books about the immigrant experience.  I hope you read at least one of them as they all put a human face on an issue that can be polarizing in the U.S., and in Europe.

1.  The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais

The Story of Hassan and his family immigrating to England, and then France, is one of searching for hope.  Hassan's mother is killed in India during a riot and the family decides it is too dangerous to remain.  They first venture to England, but find it bleak.  Then, as they cross through France, their car breaks down and they decide to stay and open an Indian restaurant.  As Hassan proves to be a gifted chef, will he embrace French haute cuisine or honor the cooking of his childhood?  Will his father accept his choice? This story highlights some of the tensions going on due to immigrants coming to Europe.  Issues of assimilation versus cultural heritage are similar to concerns in the U.S.   I enjoyed the behind the scene restaurant setting and dilemma of Hassan.

2.  The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

This book has several intertwining stories of various immigrants from Latin America and their experiences in a small Connecticut town.  As expats tend to stick together ( I know from my own experience living in other countries), all of the characters live in the same apartment building.   I like this book because it shows a whole spectrum of people.   Each character has a unique reason for moving to America. Some are fleeing violence, while others are seeking specialized treatment for an injured child.  All are acutely aware of the sacrifices they must make to leave their homeland to create a better life.   As the main characters arrive in the U.S., they are lost trying to figure out how to get the basic necessities.  Nothing is familiar.   I felt similarly lost when I first moved to Japan; I clearly remember feeling overwhelmed on my first day, trying to figure out how to find the grocery store, where to change my dollars to Yen, etc.  If you want to understand what it is like to move to a new country, this book will give you a sense of it.

3.  Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

Nayeli is a nineteen year old living in her small village in Mexico.  As she is hanging out with her friends, it dawns on her that all the men of the village are gone.  Over the past several years they have all left to go the the U.S. to find work.  Who is she supposed to build a life with if all the men are gone?  Nayeli watches The Magnificent Seven and gets a wild idea:  go north to America and recruit seven men to come home to rebuild their population.  This book speaks so well to the mixed emotions of immigrants coming from Mexico to the U.S.: The fears on both sides of the fence, and the longing to feel at home. My grandparents came from Mexico as children and it was both heartbreaking and powerful to experience a boarder crossing through the characters in this book. I look forward to reading everything the author writes in the future.