There's a trending hashtag on Twitter among authors and literary folks called #DiversityInBooks, promoting the reading of books by authors or about characters who are from a diverse set of ethnic or racial groups (aka: not white). Personally, I love it and always have enjoyed reading about people and cultures and situations that are completely different from mine. I think that by doing so, we create better understanding among each other as human beings. Diversity should unite us, not divide us. Here are three books that I found that are not only written by minority authors with minority main characters, but actually discuss what race is and what it means in the US today.
Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
This novel, set in the 1970s in small-town Ohio, shows the struggles of the Lee family after the sudden death of their teenage daughter, Lydia. Unsure if it was murder or suicide, the book slowly reveals backstories for each of the characters until we find out what happened. James, her father, is the son of Chinese immigrants and has spent his whole life trying to blend in, whereas her mother, Marilyn, is white and spent her whole life trying to stand out. The book talks about the effects that their mixed-racial marriage has on the people they come in contact with, and also the difficulties felt by their three children as the only "non-white" kids in their school, and how this distinction may have contributed to the death of Lydia. This book was powerful, moving me to tears, and it is beautifully written. The prose was absolutely exquisite, with richly described details of little moments. The characters are so real in their faults and hopes and interactions with each other. The book talks about expectations, belonging, secrets, sacrifice, and love.
The Book of Unknown Americans - Cristina Henriquez
Arturo and Alma Rivera leave their thriving life behind in Mexico when their beloved 15 year-old daughter, Maribel, suffers a traumatic brain injury. They bring her to the United States (legally) in hopes of getting her into a special school that will help. They find themselves in a rundown apartment complex knowing no English. Luckily, their neighborhood has a wide variety of other Latino immigrants, and Maribel forms a friendship with Mayor, the teenage boy next door. Mainly told through Alma and Mayor's viewpoints, we also get brief insights into the neighbors' stories and what brought them to the US. We also read about the harsh reality of what it means to be an immigrant in the United States: leaving thriving lives in a home country to live in near poverty, fear of losing visa status and work, being bullied for being racially different, learning a new language and adjusting to new circumstances, including weather and what food is good. Having been an immigrant a few times in my life, I know that it is a confusing and overwhelming situation, and I liked that this booked brought to the forefront the lives of those people who are often overlooked.
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In terms of plot, this novel is pretty simple and a bit slow. Ifemelu and Obinze are high school sweethearts, separated when she moves to America for school. They meet up again fifteen years (and several hundred pages) later and reignite their passion. But this book is sneaky: it's a platform for the author to discuss race, via Ifemelu's experiences of coming to the US and, for the first time, encountering Race and being Black. The character writes a blog about her experiences as a Non-American Black and discusses things with her white friends. In the book, one friend says "If you write about how people are really affected by race, it'll be too obvious. [. . .] So if you're going to write about race, you have to make sure it's so lyrical and subtle that the reader who doesn't read between the lines won't even know it's about race", which is the author giving us a cheeky wink and telling us exactly what she's doing with this book. I enjoyed the book; even though it was a bit long and slow, it was beautifully written and I highlighted several lines and paragraphs. I like books that make me stop and look around and think about the world and society around me, and that's exactly what this book sets out to do.
Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
This novel, set in the 1970s in small-town Ohio, shows the struggles of the Lee family after the sudden death of their teenage daughter, Lydia. Unsure if it was murder or suicide, the book slowly reveals backstories for each of the characters until we find out what happened. James, her father, is the son of Chinese immigrants and has spent his whole life trying to blend in, whereas her mother, Marilyn, is white and spent her whole life trying to stand out. The book talks about the effects that their mixed-racial marriage has on the people they come in contact with, and also the difficulties felt by their three children as the only "non-white" kids in their school, and how this distinction may have contributed to the death of Lydia. This book was powerful, moving me to tears, and it is beautifully written. The prose was absolutely exquisite, with richly described details of little moments. The characters are so real in their faults and hopes and interactions with each other. The book talks about expectations, belonging, secrets, sacrifice, and love.
The Book of Unknown Americans - Cristina Henriquez
Arturo and Alma Rivera leave their thriving life behind in Mexico when their beloved 15 year-old daughter, Maribel, suffers a traumatic brain injury. They bring her to the United States (legally) in hopes of getting her into a special school that will help. They find themselves in a rundown apartment complex knowing no English. Luckily, their neighborhood has a wide variety of other Latino immigrants, and Maribel forms a friendship with Mayor, the teenage boy next door. Mainly told through Alma and Mayor's viewpoints, we also get brief insights into the neighbors' stories and what brought them to the US. We also read about the harsh reality of what it means to be an immigrant in the United States: leaving thriving lives in a home country to live in near poverty, fear of losing visa status and work, being bullied for being racially different, learning a new language and adjusting to new circumstances, including weather and what food is good. Having been an immigrant a few times in my life, I know that it is a confusing and overwhelming situation, and I liked that this booked brought to the forefront the lives of those people who are often overlooked.
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
In terms of plot, this novel is pretty simple and a bit slow. Ifemelu and Obinze are high school sweethearts, separated when she moves to America for school. They meet up again fifteen years (and several hundred pages) later and reignite their passion. But this book is sneaky: it's a platform for the author to discuss race, via Ifemelu's experiences of coming to the US and, for the first time, encountering Race and being Black. The character writes a blog about her experiences as a Non-American Black and discusses things with her white friends. In the book, one friend says "If you write about how people are really affected by race, it'll be too obvious. [. . .] So if you're going to write about race, you have to make sure it's so lyrical and subtle that the reader who doesn't read between the lines won't even know it's about race", which is the author giving us a cheeky wink and telling us exactly what she's doing with this book. I enjoyed the book; even though it was a bit long and slow, it was beautifully written and I highlighted several lines and paragraphs. I like books that make me stop and look around and think about the world and society around me, and that's exactly what this book sets out to do.
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