Immigration Books

America Libre is a real page-turner and I'm looking forward to the next book. Immigration is a timely topic, and Raul Ramos Sanchez illustrates realistically how ordinary people and whole societies can fall into violence.

This is the kind of book that jumps alive in your hands. It whispers to you of love and compassion, and shrieks at you from the depths of hatred and confusion. In dealing with the immigration issue this book is certainly timely, but I believe its greatest value actually lies in the wonderfully uncomfortable way in which it shatters the over simplification which plagues most of the world's problems - that there is simply good and bad, right and wrong, Latino and Gringo. What a great gift this author has given us in these pages, where innocents become enemies, heroes disappoint and hope kindles in dark places. As much homage as this book pays to the Latino cause, it also beckons to the broader human cause: Let us all be aware of the slippery slope that constitutes our perspectives and judgments. Let us all treat with reverence the complexity of our community. And let us all think twice, even thrice, before we decide our choices. Read it, and most importantly, read it well!

I was sucked into the story about 40 pages in and was unable to put it down. I finished America Libre in two nights. (With a new baby in the house, sleep is at a premium; if my husband had not ripped the book out of my hands the other night, I would have read it straight through till morning). I am eagerly waiting for the second installment. As a poli-sci major I'm a pretty hard sell on military and political thrillers; but I would stack this up against a Uris or Clancy novel. Considering current immigration laws springing up across the US (Oklahoma and Vermont) and rising public tempatures regarding illegals - all aimed at Latinos; America Libre feels more like historical fact than a possible future. The book feels current and it's carefully crafted step-by-step "how to start a revolution" makes it more than believable; and more than a little scary.

This was a fast-paced contemporary story - one that made me question my conscious and unconscious assumptions about other cultures and how I relate to them. It was scary to watch the evolution of the believable plot!

The story was both thought-provoking and an action-packed page turner, which is a rare combination indeed. The plot device of having a single event mushroom into something huge reminded me of Tom Clancy novels like Debt of Honor. Once I got to the book, I went from cover to cover during the space of a plane trip over a long weekend. The book starts fast and keeps a quick pace. Let's hope that the story is a worst case scenario that never comes to pass.

I am in the process of adopting a child from China and this book touched my every emotion...happiness, sadness, anger, and frustration. Jeff was able to capture all facets of the human emotion and provided poignant points and truth to an adoption journey. I didn't want to put the book down and found myself thinking about even when I wasn't reading it. Jeff's words permanently pressed against my mind, heart and soul. Jeff wrote with such compelling imagery that I felt like I was on the journey with them. This book is remarkable and I would recommended it to anyone.

From the first chapter I felt as though I was with The Gammage family on their journey. I myslef am an adoptive parent of a darling little girl from Chongqing and have been home 9 months. It brought back vivid memories and feelings I had gone through on our trip. I was smiling and crying all the way through the book. This is a must read for anyone who is thinking about or who has adopted a child. Jeff Gamage captured the feeling and emotions that all of us experience on our journey to parenthood. Bravo!

This is a beautifully written account of a loving family. Mr. Gammage shares his observations and feeling in a compelling and compassionate manner. I feel I made this journey with him and am greatful for having shared the experience. This book has provided much insight and detail into a jouney my son and his wife recently made to adopt their daughter from China. I'm so glad I found this book!

We were with Jeff and Chris in Langzhou when they adopted their second daughter in 2004. In reading China Ghosts, we were transported back to that moment in time when after years of longing and broken hope, a precious and beautiful girl was placed in our arms; reminded of the feelings, emotions, and passion of why we started down that road less traveled. For those who have adopted, are considering it, or know someone who has, Jeff expresses so many of the emotions that are woven throughout the process, including the aftermath. As the father of a Chinese daughter, China Ghosts is a reminder of my passage to fatherhood as well; It speaks all I think. Thank you Jeff!

I read a review of this book in a magazine and ordered it immediately. Having adopted from China, everything was familiar, but unique in various ways. Anyone who has been through the process or who may be waiting now should definitely read it. I related to many of the events described from the father's perspective, but my wife enjoyed it as much as I did.

I will warn anyone that decides to read the book that some of the experiences that are written about are heartbreaking. You will most certainly want to cry at various points throughout the book. Overall, though, it is a good read. It will bring back lots of memories of your China trip.

After reading Fighting Immigration Anarchy, I could not sleep for three nights. I kept thinking about all that I had learned from Daniel Sheehy's book about what is truly going on in my own backyard and in the rest of America. The book tells what the our government and the mainstream media won't tell you about the seriousness of the illegal immigration crisis and how we are rapidly losing our country and quality of life. The book isn't just about what is wrong with our government's virtual open borders policy. The book mostly focuses on American citizen-activists of different races and ethnicities who have made a difference in the fight to preserve our borders and sovereignty. I have been truly inspired by these stories- and I plan to get involved myself. This book has caused me to wake up and take notice! I'm buying several more copies to give to my friends.

Mr. Sheehy's book presents current and continuing events about public patriots as well as unknown patriots - those who attend rallies, write to newspapers, call radio talk programs, join Roy Beck's fax writers to Congress, and in many other ways inform the public about the illegal alien invasion of the United States.

It's an easy read about the histories and daily activities of those featured in the chapters and their supporters. Every member of the U.S. Congress and Senate should be locked up in some hotel and not released until they finish reading this book. That goes for state legislatures as well.

Mr. Sheehy's book presents current and continuing events about public patriots as well as unknown patriots - those who attend rallies, write to newspapers, call radio talk programs, join Roy Beck's fax writers to Congress, and in many other ways inform the public about the illegal alien invasion of the United States.

Any person who believes these folks are nativist or bigots just by the title should read the book to learn about the threat to U.S. national sovereignty.

It's an easy read about the histories and daily activities of those featured in the chapters and their supporters. Every member of the U.S. Congress and Senate should be locked up in some hotel and not released until they finish reading this book. That goes for state legislatures as well.

Daniel Sheehy has done an outstanding public service by exposing
the Bush Administration's determination to keep the Mexican border open thus allowing illegal immigrants and terrorists to
enter the U. S. borders. The Bush rhetoric is old and worn as
Bush shows more loyaly to Vicente Fox than he does to the U.S. citizens. Californians Barbara Coe, Glen Spencer and other California voters began taking action in 1994 to get, what became Proposition 187, on the ballot to stop illegal immigration and the resultant burden on taxpayers, schools,
hospitals and jails. Even though approved by the voters, former Governor Gray Davis and former Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo and others prevented it from becoming a law. Nothing
could be more basic to National security than closing our borders to unidentified people. Homeland security has been a joke because of irrational priorities and inconsistencies by the
Bush administration and now open borders. I am a former airline pilot and know many pilots who believe uninspected cargo is a great threat to airline passengers and crew and the ease with which an airplane can be shot down with a shoulder
fired missile. As a Naval Aviation veteran of WWII, a USAFR
retired Major and pilot veteran of the Korean, I believe our country is in great risk because of our weakened position by using our Reservists and National Guard to fight battles in far off Iraq when our troops should be guarding the borders here. My grandson is a U. S. Marine in Iraq fighting "insurgents", while illegal aliens come across our borders at the rate of over 10,000 per day--isn't it ironical? Daniel Sheehy is a fearless patriot, who has exposed what I believe is a national disgrace and which should be the concern of everyone.
Dr. Norman E. Witt (Ed.D.) UCLA--Class of 1969.

This book really gives you important facts about the threat of millions of illegal immigrants in this county. But I think the book should also talk about legal immigration. I am an immigrant from Germany and my goal was to become an American and leave everything else behind. I promised to never rely on any welfare and in all the past decades I never have. There are rarely people who recognize that I wasn't born here.

The photographer has really captured the feel of Ellis Island. A visit to the island is a must for people visiting New York. Whether this was the first stop for your ancestors on their arrival to the new world, or they came through other ports of entry, I think the general experiences were the same. All the feelings of expectation, fear, joy or the disappointment of making such a long journey only to be detained or turned back while in sight of the "promised land" are tangible in Stephen Wilkes' images.

As an artist, I purchased this after my artist friend showed it to me, to use as a guide for selecting particular colors and/or color combinations in abstract paintings. It is amazing that the light in the photos has been captured as it truly was--not altered or enhanced with SW to convey a particular mood. Everyone I have showed this to has been propelled to stop and look through every image in the book--it draws you in as you flip through the pages. The colors portray emotion. Content is one of a kind. Highly recommended.

I found this book to be stunning and thought provoking-I wondered about how frightened and angry immigrants must have been to be treated in such a way after what they went through before.

The pictures speak of the passing of time with such a quietness. One can only imagine the complete opposite when Ellis Island was a sea of humanity speaking and crying and hoping while glimpsing NY's famed skyline so nearby. So many hopes realized, so many unfulfilled.

I Love this book, the pictures are beautiful, the design and layout make the pictures and quotes very moving. As a photographer I admire the quality of the work, and the bright vivid prints. I love that most of the images are full pages, sometimes spread across two pages, with small text labeling the room, or part of the property. There are no frames, page designs, or paragraphs to take away from the imagery. For more information and details the photographer includes a section of thumbnails with descriptions, stories about the room, or the shooting conditions, or even bitd of history. The thumbnails and text are at the back of the book with an arial shot and map showing the layout of the buildings. It really helps to peice together the history of Ellis Island. The quotes including add to the emotion behind the images, and I like that they were on parchment paper, so that you can see the pictures behind it. The books are being enjoyed by me and my mother, who is very interested in the hostory of Ellis Island, while I enjoy it for the photography. Great book to own, everyone should have a copy.

This is gorgeously written novel, for a first novel or a 50th. Beautiful language, universal themes and totally believable flawed characters. I don't often feel compelled to mark favorite passages while reading, but this one is full of earmarked pages. I'm not sure why this one hasn't gotten more attention, but I look forward to reading more of Shauna Seliy's work in the future. Highly recommended.

There is something about this book's cover image - strong and gentle hands protecting and revealing the simple beauty of the fruit - that recalls Seliy's mastery of words and character in this stunningly lyrical first novel.

Seliy's ability to convey of sense of place while simultaneously developing Lucas's emerging sense of self carries you along in the way that a good book makes you forget to care about where you really are (on the subway, at the kitchen table, at your desk at work not working, etc.). Somehow Seliy manages to accomplish this without overwriting. Her sparse descriptions and sparing dialogue (alternately bitingly witty and suddenly poignant) did the job so effecively I found myself crying throughout this book - sometimes because of a plot point - but mostly because of the way the words on the page...felt.

I also cried at the end, mostly because I didn't want to leave this place and these people, along with the very real and the very mythical senses they evoked. It is impossible to believe that these people did not live, just as described here. Seliy's careful research - on mining life, old world traditions and dialect - and her own obvious sense of belonging to this part of our country - make it possible to doubt that they didn't.

A beautiful book by any account, made all the more impressive by its debut status. I eagerly await Seliy's next book. Until then, a reread of this one is something to look forward to.

This is a beautiful novel to curl up with and get lost in for a little while. Lost in 1970's western Pennsylvania, lost in a dying coal mining town with its strong ethnic history and mythology and family stories, lost in the boy's search for his mother and growth .... I absolutely loved it and you will, too!

This incredible novel is one of the best debuts I've read. The beautiful prose grabs you from the first page and does not let you go. I recommended it to my book club and it is by far our favorite book this year.

This book made me feel nastalgic for a time I never knew. I always heard stories about growing up in a mining town from my grandma. Reading this book, I felt like I was really there. It's definitely going on my new favorite book list!

The author calls this book, "Near Fiction," i.e. "a futuristic story that ping pongs somewhere between non-fiction and science fiction." It is certainly all that and much more.

The book is about the US-UN War. Far fetched?

It is Book 2 of a trilogy and Books 1 and 3 have not been written yet. Odd?

Ask George Lucas.

I have to admit that it took me several chapters to wrap my brain around the author's concept of a near fiction war between the US and the UN, but the further one goes into the story, the easier the idea is to accept.

The thing which makes this all work for me is that Michael Mannske can flat out write. His characters come alive, his scenarios become plausable and his knowledge of the military gives the book an authenticity that near fiction and science fiction need in order to remain plausible.

Mannske says in the Afterword that he wrote this book because he was bored. That he wanted to escape the post 9/11 world and be "mesmerized again by cataclysmic clashes and superpower showdowns...where military strategies are brought to life and age old SIOP [Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol] war plans dusted off and tested in the crucible of the imagination."

The crucible of this author's imagination is white hot. If you are looking for a book that is not boring and quite mesmerizing, Foreign and Domestic is just the ticket. I promise you it will make you think and probably keep you up later than is good for you. It did me.

Great book! In the "against all odds" tradition of great novels this book really got to me. A glimpse at a not too hard to imagine predicament and "Hobson's" choice we could be faced with. Solzenitzen warned us - Mannske has too. Love the characters and their development - I can't wait for the next one. This book would make a great movie.

With the support of our president the UN has placed large areas of the US under the control of its political forces and a civil war is raging putting friends and family on opposing sides. The Sovereign Forces are fighting hard to preserve our Constitution and save our one remaining asset - the missile silos in the Middle States. The action is non-stop in the field and on the home front as well. Technical descriptions and gritty put-down comraderie among the SF men crackles with authenticity - perhaps straight out of Mannske's own Gulf War experiences.

Can't wait for the rest of this triology - how could the UN get this power and how do we get it and our country back? Hope Mannske doesn't make us wait very long. It's a sure fire movie hit - heads up on this one, Hollywood!

Written by a former Air Force fighter pilot, Foreign and Domestic: Campaign II - Battle for the Middle States is a dark, suspenseful novel set in a near future where the United Nations has become the world's next superpower and the president has turned traitor against his own country. When the UN invades America, an army of patriots rises up in rebellion, seeking to repel the invaders and the remove the president who invited them. Ex-Air Force pilot John "Spiderman" Trent and his band of Sovereign Forces is harassed at every turn, and his wife is targeted for internment; he is one of many called upon to sacrifice all for home, family, and the dream of a struggling nation. A thrilling political and military novel that resists being put down until the last page is turned.

The book was very timely for it portrays a likely senario of what the UN might do if it had the power. It also shows the complacency of the American people to accept whatever is handed to them without question. We as Americans need to question what our leaders are placing on us and either reject or accept it with clear minds and be willing stand up for what is right, according to the Constitution of The United States as written and understood by the framers of that document, and not based on the interpetation of any group, court, or other entity. This book may be fiction, but it has so many true facts that are relevant to today's enviroment, that only the story line may prove to be fictional. I thought the book was great reading and had trouble putting it down. I would recommend it to anyone with a conservative view. I look forward to this author's future books.
Shelby G. Lowery
P.O. Box 73
New Albany, MS 38652

My child had to read this book for a summer reading requirement. Naturally, I read the book to be sure he would do a good job. I encourage anyone to read this book, as it has a great story line. The author has the ability to take the reader into the story and keep the reader captivated. I found that in the middle of the book I could not put it down, as I was enthralled on finding out what would take place next. The author has done the research behind the culture of the characters, and has managed to voice the humor to reflect.

Goodbye Vietnam would be a good book for children or adults interested in history.I for instance am interested in books about history i rated this book with only 3 stars because i feel they dont talk enough about what is important in this book. With this book things need to be explained more about what is happening.

I first got interested in Vietnam at the age of 7. My eldest sister's husband was born in Vietnam. From everything he and his family has told me about it, it is 110% acurrate. It is very special to me because of my brother-in-laws life there. HE escaped Vietnam, and it is true how they live on platforms. Anyway, it's an awesome book. It is amongst the best books I've ever read.

My friends were reading this book and they said it was good so I triend it and it is one of my favorite books now. This book is a story about a girl and how she escapes with her family to Hong Kong and then on to America. Its a have to read!

I believe that this book is good for children because it explains things like sacrifice, suffering, and courage clearly. If a child reads this book, he or she will be interested because the principal character (a 13 years old) is telling the story. So, young readers can feel good witn this book, and also they learn about the true meaning of life. Finally, I would recomended that all children read this fantastic story.

I own this book in english and loved it. I was making a trip to Cuba and wanted to share it with a friend I have there, and so I ordered it in spanish for him. It's a great book about family, love, and la lucha. Although it is about a Mexican family, these issues are univeral to people from all countries. A really great read.

The authors style of writing was entertaining but on further examination I feel that he tried to portray his father in the very best possible light by keeping the reader fascinated with the story when the truth may have been that the man was nothing more than a two bit punk and murderer. I say this because in some of the instances where people were murdered , you had to ask yourself who stood to gain the most from their deaths and the answer seemed to always point to his father. To illustrate this there was a part in the book where the father and business partner split up and decide to lay low from the law for awhile. The father loans this expensive car to the partner at the time(why?) and yet the partner and his girlfriend end up not only dead but also they and the car are burned completely so as not to be I.D.ed.The writer alludes some sort of retribution by other "italian" bootleggers for his betrayal. Again I pose the question as who stood to gain most from this and you can see where this is going.
I think this story was more of an attempt by the author to "wash away his fathers sins" which must've haunted him thru deflecting blame on other unknown mysterious characters and by masking it a colorful and fairy talelike story how his father and mother met and married.

I read the English version several years ago and loved it. The author has a lovely literary style that makes you laugh, cry, and sigh. The historical setting was similar to that of my grandparents and their families who came here to California because of the terror of the Mexican Revolution of 1910. My older family members were also raised in the interior valleys and could have worked side by side with some of the Villasenor family members back then. I cried at each chapter and I can hardly wait to see the movie version, which I hope will have well selected actors playing the major parts. I have seen the TV version of the Ballad of Gregorio Cortez and thought it was very well done.

This book is a really touching book about a mexican family that struggles through many difficulties. This book can relate to your own life, for example my parents, going through hard times in your life is very difficult for many families, it sometimes causes families to have problems. The two families in this book, met and were both really similar, family problems are hard going through. I recomend you to read this book, my Spanish class read this and I didn't hear of anybody that didn't like it. Read and understand it and try to relate it to your own life, compare it to your life. Please read, it's a very interesting book.

Victor Villasenor wrote one of the premier literary works in the entire area of Mexican American Literature when he wrote Rain of Gold (Lluvia de Oro). It is a rare piece of art that can be appreciated by Mexican Americans such as myself or those from other cultures such as my Anglo wife. We felt like together we made the journey with Lupe.

While some works like Tomas Rivera's ...Y No Se Lo Trago La Tierra (...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him) can be almost a caricature of Mexican American culture, this book by Villasenor has fully rounded and developed characters that the reader can appreciate, understand, and relate to on a personal level. It is truly a fantastic book.

This book is great for encouraging students to ask questions and infer meaning! Try it out in the classroom!

The lotus seed is about someone's grandmother who gets a lotus seed to remember her emperor. It takes place in Vietnam. It has lots of information obout what they used to flee from the Vietnam war. I think Tatsuro Kiuchi did a good job with the illustrations. I think every one from 5-8 should read this book.

This book is touching. The grandma passes on the lotus seed to her grandson. One day, she sees a lotus flower in her backyard and it made her remember her ruler.

This has to be one of my favorite children's books and being a soon to be teacher I have read a lot of children's books. One of the reasons it's my favorite is that it touches a subject that is close to my heart, the Vietnamese culture. My mom came to America after the Vietnam war with my sister who was 5 and brother who was 1. I never knew how important the lotus seed could be, but growing up I enjoyed eating the fruit and peeling it off the seed. This book is truely one of a kind and as I read it I learned more about my mom's culutre and just how special it is.

This is one book that I'll keep for many, many years even when I retire from teaching.

This book helps me remember more about Vietnam and why I appreciate my culture so much. The significant symbolism of the lotus seed is the culture Vietnam and what the woman endurance in her past. Ba picked out a lotus seed from the imperial garden because of its beautiful and fresh scent. The lotus seed has never left her side as she carries it with her through the tragedy times and moved to a new country after the Vietnam War. One of her grandchildren planted the lotus seed in the backyard and it grew into a beautiful lotus flower. The beauty of it reminds Ba of her country.

This is definitely one of the best children's book I have ever read. The images are beautifully drawn as they describe Vietnam and the story. The symbolism of the lotus seed reminds me of my culture and I should never forget it. I really like how the author added a Vietnamese poem at the back. A must read for all young and old!

In 1730, ten-year-old Molly is a pickpocket on the London streets who is caught and sentenced to be banished to America. While waiting in prison for the trip to America, two gentlemen come to her cell and tell her that she is a "daughter of Israel" and when she gets to America she will be indentured to a Jewish family. Her mother died of smallpox when she was 7, and she has little memory of her heritage. Upon her arrival to America, the Bell family purchases her as an indentured servant until her 21st birthday. The family is very good to her, even teaching her to read, but Molly is determined to get back to the London she knows. Molly grudgingly learns about compassion, family, and the real meaning of freedom through her contact with an abused African slave. Some characters speak an old London dialect called Flash or Flash-cant, a secret language that thieves invented so they could hide what they are saying. There is a glossary at the end with the definitions of the words used in the book. Children should particularly enjoy this aspect of the book. This is an engaging novel for young readers with historically accurate information about life in London and New York that is presented with all its complexity. It is particularly useful as an excellent introduction to the life of the Jews in New York at that time, and includes a map of New York in the 1730's. This book was the winner of the manuscript award of the Association of Jewish Libraries. Ages 8 - 12. Reviewed by Barbara Silverman

I had my daughter write a little "book report" about The Pickpocket's Tale after she devoured it during our family vacation this summer. In part, she wrote "I liked the book because it was realistic and was full of suspense. I also liked that the author used Thieve's cant and a real time & place."

Karen Schwabach's A PICKPOCKET'S TALE tells of a tough ten-year-old pickpocket in 1730s London who becomes an indentured servant to a Jewish family in New York City. Banished to America, Molly only wants to go home, even though her employers are good to her. History comes to life in a survey of their family's changes.

Ever since Karen told me that this book was comming out I have been waiting for the day I could buy it. This book is wonderful! The historical detail is great. From the expression of Jewish culture, to the use of 'Flash' talk, to the straightfoward way she presents the life of the poor in London Karen has done an excellent job. This is one that you will not want to put down I read it the day that I recieved it. You will fall in love with Molly and her story.

In 1730, Molly is a ten-year-old orphan who is convicted of pick-pocketing in London and deported to America. Even though her mother was Jewish, Molly is unfamiliar with Jewish customs and rituals. When a Jewish family in the new settlement of New York purchases Molly to be their indentured servant, she learns to follow and respect the Jewish traditions as well as the more civilized lifestyle of a "nib cull." She also learns about the importance of family, forgiveness, and faith. Karen Schwabach's rich descriptions of the food, clothing, living conditions, and scenery are impressive. Her use of the London dialect Flash-cant, used by pickpockets, while adding authenticity and flavor, weighs down the dialogue at times and may frustrate some readers. However, the unique plot, multi-dimensional characters, suspense, and excitement will make this meticulously researched novel a favorite among historical fiction fans. A map of the city of New York and an author's note providing historical background is appended along with a glossary of Flash-cant words and phrases. A great choice for a book club discussion and a fantastic tie-in for students learning about early-American history - highly recommended!