A Good Provider is One Who Leaves by Jason DeParle

A GOOD PROVIDER IS ONE WHO LEAVES by Jason DeParle is a non-fiction work that deals with “One Family and Migration in the 21st Century.” DeParle, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, builds on his decades long acquaintance with Tita Comodas to tell her family’s story of life in the Philippines and assimilation by her daughter (Rosalie) and grandchildren in the United States.  He was able to immerse himself in their experience – recently (beginning in 2012) following shifts at work, observing the children in classrooms and having nearly daily contact for a few years. DeParle says, “[the family’s] experiences across three generations can only be understood as part of a broader epoch of migration that is transforming much of the world.” 

In an accessible and engaging manner, he splits the book into two parts: There and Here, combining anecdotes about Rosalie’s becoming a nurse in the Philippines (and working in Saudi Arabia and UAE before moving to Texas) with immigration facts and context. Roughly fifteen percent of DeParle’s book is devoted to extensive notes and a helpful index. The facts that he relates in the prologue alone are pretty amazing: consider that one in four children in the United States is an immigrant or a child of one; or that there are 258 million migrants around the world, assuming an equal size (if not bigger) population back home that they support, this group of half a billion would together form the world’s third largest country. DeParle writes, “my own light bulb moment came in learning that remittances – the sums migrants send home – are three times the world’s foreign aid budgets combined.”  A GOOD PROVIDER IS ONE WHO LEAVES received starred reviews from Booklist (“family story [that] will captivate YAs interested in immigration and globalization”), Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. For more of his observations follow the link to an interview on NPR.

Driving by Starlight by Anat Deracine

DRIVING BY STARLIGHT by Anat Deracine is set in modern day Saudi Arabia and revolves around life for young women there. The author herself grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia although her university studies were in England and the US where she now lives. Deracine is very effective in conveying the oppressiveness of the patriarchal society while also introducing characters who hold a variety of views regarding religious rules and their enforcement. She raised many questions for me and my biggest reaction to DRIVING BY STARLIGHT was wishing that I could talk about this title to someone (like the characters Leena or her friend Mishail) who had actually lived the experience.

DRIVING BY STARLIGHT, with its beautiful cover, is an emotional, suspenseful story that received starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.  Its lexile is a relatively low 860 and I think this would make for a very interesting choice for literature circles, particularly if it could be paired with a non-fiction work like Daring to Drive. Deracine (a pseudonym) refers to the efforts to secure the right to drive for women in Saudi Arabia and raises many other questions about women’s rights and the complexity of resistance. Some of these have been reflected in a recent Vanity Fair article as well as in this New York Times editorial.

If there is interest in exploring other cultures and diverse books, another option would perhaps be to pair DRIVING BY STARLIGHT with the graphic novel titled Dare to Disappoint by Özge Samancı about growing up in Turkey.

More Young Adult Fiction ...

The list of ABE nominees are here (in a pdf) and this year Susan sponsored students who were reading and voting on selections for the list – that was exciting, especially when they were recognized by the Board of Education for their efforts!  As a group, the Librarians at New Trier will be talking about these books in the next few weeks and I am sure some more reviews will appear here.  In the meantime, here’s a mix of recent Young Adult titles, some of which might appear on the ABE list in the future:

Don’t you love the cover of THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS by Ashley Woodfolk (March 6; Random House; SLJ: Grade 9 up)? The story is also multi-faceted, being told from three perspectives by racially diverse characters: Autumn, Shay, and Logan each of whom have lost someone they loved (a best friend to a car crash, a twin to leukemia and a boyfriend to apparent suicide). They, too, need to rebuild and reform their lives and get beyond the shocking situations, the panic attacks and the self-medicating with alcohol. Debut author Woodfolk weaves a darker and very emotional tale as these three try to cope with grief, saying at one point, “Lying is the new language we speak. It’s the only way we can talk at all.” Gradually, though, they begin to rely on new friendships and a shared interest in music. THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS received a starred review from School Library Journal. 

A GIRL LIKE THAT by Tanaz Bhathena (February 27; Farrar, Straus and Giroux; SLJ: Grade 8 up) has another very compelling cover and insightfully explores some heavy themes. This story, told from multiple viewpoints, offers a look at life in Saudi Arabia for a young orphan girl named Zarin Wadia. Her aunt criticizes and restricts her actions constantly and, as Kirkus says, there are “graphic descriptions of assault and sexual abuse.” Zarin has difficulty establishing friendships (unlike her Muslim school mates, she is Zoroastrian) and she rebels, acting out by smoking cigarettes and sneaking around with male friends. Readers will feel compassion for her and anger at her difficulties coping with such a controlling and often sexist society. A GIRL LIKE THAT received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. Read an excerpt here.

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE by Cori McCarthy (April 1, 2018; Sourcebooks; SLJ: Grade 8 up) is an unusual blend of present day movie making and a fantasy story.  As it begins, Iris Thorne (17) and her young brother Ryder are arriving in Ireland to observe the filming of their grandmother’s fantasy epic named Elementia. Iris has a trust fund established by her grandmother and is clearly privileged.  She doesn’t seem to recognize this and spends an inordinate amount of time sulking and bemoaning her in loco parentis role as well as obsessing over the strained relationship she has with her father. Good for her that there are several supportive cast members and an empowering, feminist-leaning director. Seemingly on a quest herself and experiencing romance for the first time, Iris does an amazing amount of maturing in just over a week or so as the filming zigs and zags from one crisis to another. 

Although not too realistic, NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE is ultimately an uplifting, hopeful story and I have two favorite quotes:  “My ma has a saying.  It’s a life policy, really. Do something that scares you every day.” And…   “Say that the book is a sculpture. You can walk around the story.  You can touch it. You can view it up close or far away.  That is why people love books.  The stories interact with your memories, your experiences.  They are personalized.  Movies? Movies are a picture of that same statue.  The parameters are set. The characters have defined faces. The scenes artistically rendered to one person’s vision.” Can’t wait to use that description in my next booktalk!  In the meantime, hope you find a book that speaks to YOU.