THE PENGUIN BOOK OF MIGRATION LITERATURE

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THE PENGUIN BOOK OF MIGRATION LITERATURE

Name: THE PENGUIN BOOK OF MIGRATION LITERATURE
Author: Dohra Ahmad
ISBN: 978-0-14-313338-4

DEPARTURES, ARRIVALS, GENERATIONS, RETURNS

edited by Dohra Ahmad ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 17, 2019

A welcome, pocket-sized introduction to migration literature.

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In an era in which immigrants are increasingly demonized, Penguin assembles a well-curated collection of literature about the migration experience.

Edited by Ahmad (English/St. John’s Univ.; Landscapes of Hope: Anti-Colonial Utopianism in America, 2009, etc.) and featuring an eloquent introduction by MacArthur fellow Edwidge Danticat (The Art of Death, 2017, etc.), this compact but eye-opening book provides a sampling of literature, memoirs, and other writings about the experience of being an immigrant. To that end, the collection is arranged in a sequence that mimics what immigrants go through, starting with a section about “Departures,” followed by “Arrivals,” “Generations,” and a single entry for “Returns,” penned by Egyptian migrant Pauline Kaldas called, fittingly, “A Conversation.” The breadth of Ahmad’s selections is impressive given that she doesn’t have a ton of space with which to work. “Departures” includes poetry from West Africa as well as more traditional and familiar entries from such authors as Salman Rushdie (“Good Advice Is Rarer Than Rubies”) and a selection from Mohsin Hamid’s bestselling novel How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. The “Returns” section is equally diverse and includes poetry from Jamaican Claude McKay, a selection from the late E.R. Braithwaite’s classic novel To Sir, With Love, and the celebrated writer and illustrator Marjane Satrapi’s poignant graphic memoir Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. Finally, in “Generations,” Ahmad presents poetry from Native American author Joseph Bruchac, two selections by David Dabydeen, and an excerpt from Zadie Smith’s White Teeth. Given the breadth and depth of the genre, this is a first-rate starting point for exploring migration literature and is almost certain to be taught in schools in the near future. Don’t miss the “Suggestions for Further Reading and Viewing” at the back of the text, which is also excellently curated. The book also includes work by Olaudah Equiano, Eva Hoffman, Dinaw Mengestu, and Hanif Kureishi.

A welcome, pocket-sized introduction to migration literature.

Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-14-313338-4

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Penguin

Review Posted Online: Aug. 25, 2019

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.