Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


From An-Other Land: Making Home in the Land of Dreams by Tanushree GhoshFrom An-Other Land: Making Home in the Land of Dreams by Tanushree Ghosh

Publisher: Readomania Publishin (December 4, 2018)
Category: Adult Fiction, 224 pages
Genre: Short Stories, Immigrant Stories, Literary

Description From An-Other Land: Making Home in the Land of Dreams by Tanushree Ghosh


Never has been the conversation on immigration more pertinent than now, post 2016 US elections. From cancellation of refugee protection and zero tolerance to undercurrent crackdown on H visas to the border wall – the resurgence of nationalism is hitting the globalized population head-on.

But what is immigration today? A question of life or death – fleeing of persecution? A compulsion? Or a mere pursuance of privilege? And what is the US today? A land of opportunities? Or a quagmire impossible to comprehend, inherently racist and selfish?

From An-Other Land dives deep into immigration today for the diaspora and its many facets with characters who seek to define themselves in an intercultural setting that is less and less sure of itself. A reality check and a guide for anyone who wants to understand the modern-day US.

To read others reviews, please follow Tanushree Ghosh’s page on iRead Book Tours.

My Thoughts From An-Other Land: Making Home in the Land of Dreams by Tanushree Ghosh


I found the book description a bit misleading.  With the exception of one word, “Characters” the description leads one to believe this book is non-fiction and a real examination of the issues.  Of course, a book of fiction can certainly address real issues however, for myself, it did not address all of the issues mentioned in the description.

From An-Other Land is a book of short stories about the immigrant experience.  Tanushree Ghosh does a good job capturing each characters immigrant experience in most of the stories.  A couple of the stories fall a little short for me and I would have liked to have been able to delve in deeper into their experiences. The stories are loosely interlinked by the characters. I believe this is Ms. Ghosh’s first book and a I think she shows promise as a writer.  I look forward to seeing what she writes next.  This book was a worthwhile read. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.


About Tanushree GhoshFrom An-Other Land: Making Home in the Land of Dreams by Tanushree Ghosh

Tanushree Ghosh works in Tech and has a Doctorate in Chemistry from the Cornell University. She is also a social activist and writer. Her blog posts, op-eds, poems, and stories are an effort to provoke thoughts, especially towards issues concerning women and social justice.

She is a contributor (past and present) to several popular e-zines (incl. The Huffington Post US, The Logical Indian, Youth Ki Awaaz, Tribune India, Women’s Web, and Cafe Dissensus). Her literary resume includes poems and stories featured in national and international magazines (Words Pauses and Noises, UK; TUCK, Glimmer Train Honorable mention) as well as inclusion in seven anthologies such as Defiant Dreams (Oprah 2016 reading list placeholder) and The Best Asian Short Stories 2017 (published out of Singapore by Kitaab). Her first single-author book, From An-Other Land, is on immigration.

She has held different leadership roles in non-profits (ASHA and AID India) and is the founder and director of Her Rights (www.herrights.website), a 501(3) c non-profit committed to furthering the cause of gender equality. She is often an invited speaker or panelist for both corporate and non-profit endeavors.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook


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Edge of Lost Description of Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris

From New York Times bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes an ambitious and heartrending story of immigrants, deception, and second chances.

On a cold night in October 1937, searchlights cut through the darkness around Alcatraz. A prison guard’s only daughter—one of the youngest civilians who lives on the island—has gone missing. Tending the warden’s greenhouse, convicted bank robber Tommy Capello waits anxiously. Only he knows the truth about the little girl’s whereabouts, and that both of their lives depend on the search’s outcome.

Almost two decades earlier and thousands of miles away, a young boy named Shanley Keagan ekes out a living as an aspiring vaudevillian in Dublin pubs. Talented and shrewd, Shan dreams of shedding his dingy existence and finding his real father in America. The chance finally comes to cross the Atlantic, but when tragedy strikes, Shan must summon all his ingenuity to forge a new life in a volatile and foreign world.

Skillfully weaving these two stories, Kristina McMorris delivers a compelling novel that moves from Ireland to New York to San Francisco Bay. As her finely crafted characters discover the true nature of loyalty, sacrifice, and betrayal, they are forced to confront the lies we tell—and believe—in order to survive.

My Thoughts on Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris

Shanley Keagan is a young boy living in Dublin with his alcoholic uncle.  His mother had died and he doesn’t know who his father is other than he is from America.  His uncle has little Shanley work in pubs that will have him as a vaudevillian.  He earns a bit of money and usually gets a free meal for his efforts.

Eventually Shanley gets on a boat heading for America and is taken in by an Italian family and takes on the name Tommy Capello.  A lot happens during this time however, eventually Tommy ends up at the notorious, Alcatraz Prison.  Is he really guilty of the crime he is convicted of and will he get out?  You will have to read the book to find out!

I started rooting for Shanley/ Tommy from the first chapter.  He has a zest for life that is contagious and is very talented.  He doesn’t want to be a burden to anyone yet loves his new Italian family and learns how to fit in.

It is clear to me that Kristina McMorris really did her research on both Ireland and American in the era.  Her writing is poetic and makes the story come alive.  This book would make an excellent movie if it were to land in the right hands!  In fact, it came alive and made me feel like I was watching a movie.  Sometimes I even felt like I was in it!

I love books about the immigrant experience and this is one I can highly recommend.  It has catapulted into my top 5 in the genre! If you love historical fiction books about the immigrant experience. Life on Alcatraz as both a inmate, worker, and family living on the Island is also riveting.  ‘The Edge of Lost’ is a must read!

I received the ebook edition for my honest opinion.

5/5

About Edge of Lost by Kristina McMorris Kristina McMorris

KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and the recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, as well as a nomination for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, RWA’s RITA® Award, and a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Historical Fiction. Inspired by true personal and historical accounts.  Her works of fiction have been published by Kensington Books, Penguin Random House, and HarperCollins. 

The Edge of Lost is her fourth novel, following the widely praised Letters from Home, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves, and The Pieces We Keep. Additionally, her novellas are featured in the anthologies A Winter Wonderland and Grand Central. Prior to her writing career, Kristina hosted weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, and has been named one of Portland’s “40 Under 40” by The Business Journal. She lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she is working on her next novel. For more, visit www.KristinaMcMorris.com 

Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 15, 2010
Posted in Books Read in 2010Immigrant Experience  | 3 Comments

For those of you who have been reading my blog within the last year, you know that my newest favourite short story author is T. C. Boyle. I thought it only fair to read a novel to compare with his longer writing.

Candido and America are illegal immigrants living in the outer jungle of Los Angeles California. They came here to make a better life for themselves and their unborn child. They don’t have high aspirations. They want a job that will put food in their bellies and a proper roof over their heads.
Delaney and Kyra live with their son within a gated community in Los Angeles, with the outer jungle behind them. Delaney is a nature writer for a magazine and is a stay at home dad. Kyra is a high power real-estate broker. They consider themselves healthy and eco conscience. Their son and them are partial vegetarians.
The story opens with Delaney driving and running into Candido by mistake. He wants to help the man but he just motions for money and Delaney gives him the $20 in his pocket. Candido limps off and Delaney drives home. He feel terrible about what happens both for the man and the possible legal ramifications if he is to be reported as a hit and run driver. His lawyer/neighbour puts his mind at ease but he still thinks about the man and wonders if he survived.
Because of the accident, Candido isn’t able to try to find work for awhile. America goes to the “make-shift” work exchange for illegal’s, every day and finally finds work cleaning Buddha statues. However, one day on her way back to their camp site she gets stopped by 2 illegal immigrant men. They take her money and rape her. By then Candido is ready to work and he starts going on the daily walk to the exchange, leaving America at the camp site where he thinks she will be safe. 
At the same time, Delaney and Kyra are having problems of their own. A coyote gets into their yard and kills one of their dogs. Kyra is devastated. The strata has a meeting and Delaney interrupts it to tell people to stop leaving litter and food out. He believes that is what is attracting the coyotes to their neighbourhood. He gets kicked out of the meeting for being off topic.
Delaney and Kyra decided to have a chain-link fence in their yard but eventually another coyote jumps over it and kills their other dog right in front of them. One of the jobs Candido gets is to help put up a chain link fence. Yes, the same fence. Candido and Delaney don’t see each other then but they will see each other again, later in the story. Eventually their lives intertwine to a devastating way.
T.C. Boyle has a special relationship with words. He can write both short stories and novels equally well. I listed to the audio version of this book and Boyle was the reader. It rarely works for me when an author reads their own material. They don’t all have the gift of narration as well as the gift of words. Boyle has both! He made his characters come to life.
Boyle tackles ethical and political issues with respect and makes the reader feel compassion for both sides. I can hardly wait to read another novel and more short stories by T.C. Boyle.

4.5/5
Also reviewed by:

Caribousmom

Have you reviewed this book?  If so, please leave the link to your review in the comments and I will include it here.

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