Welcome to Litsy!

A fascinating look at being an immigrant in America. I want to read everything Lalami has written!

#foodandlit

A very lucid and rage-inducing look at racism, sexism, and class prejudice. Very well written.

5 🌟
Butter Honey Pig Bread: Francesca Ekwuyasi 📖
Conditional Citizens: Laila Lalmi 🎧
Caste: The Origins of Discontents Isabel Wilkerson 🎧
4 🌟
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu 1918 : Laura Spinney 🎧
Spinning Silver: Noami Novick 📖
3.5 🌟
The Undocumented Americans: Karla Cornejo Villavicencio 🎧
Ring Shout: P. Djeli Clark 📖
3 🌟
We Ride Upon Sticks: Quan Barry 🎧
Memorial: Bryan Williams 🎧
Felix Ever After: Kacen Callender 🎧

A personal look at outsiders in America. Along with some history.

First 5 🌟 non fiction read of 2021. Her writing is so effortless. I intentionally read this slowly to absorb what she was saying. This feels like a book that should be required reading. Not always an easy subject but written beautifully. Loved it.

Novelist Lalami embarks here on exploration of the reality of being an American citizen while not being white. Her own citizenship became a reality shortly before 9/11 and the stark differences between those celebrating her status with her and the treatment of Muslim Americans so visible shortly thereafter infused her daily life. She focuses mainly on race and religion of immigrants here but also gender. Excellent book.

Lalami was born and raised in Morocco, came to the US for graduate school, and became a US citizen after marrying a Cuban immigrant. She examines how her citizenship, and that of others, has been affected by race, gender, religion, and national origin. She has some great historical information on both the US and Morocco, especially in regards to policing, border security, government, and immigration. Highly recommend!

Pic with my favorite tumbler

So I might have made a celebratory 3 for 2 order from Amazon...maybe...😏🥳

Powerful and important essays on the American immigrant experience from a writer who clearly loves her adopted country but with a careful, truthful, critical eye.