Tag Archives: memoir

Review: Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang

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Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Yang

Beautiful Country: A Memoir of an Undocumented Childhood
Qian Julie Wang
Doubleday
Published September 7, 2021

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About Beautiful Country: A Memoir of an Undocumented Childhood

In Chinese, the word for America, Mei Guo, translates directly to “beautiful country.” Yet when seven-year-old Qian arrives in New York City in 1994 full of curiosity, she is overwhelmed by crushing fear and scarcity. In China, Qian’s parents were professors; in America, her family is “illegal” and it will require all the determination and small joys they can muster to survive.

In Chinatown, Qian’s … Continue reading →

Review: The Genius Under the Table by Eugene Yelchin

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The Genius Under the Table by Eugene Yelchin

The Genius Under the Table
Eugene Yelchin
Candlewick Press
Published October 5, 2021

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About The Genius Under the Table

An Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Honor Winner

With a masterful mix of comic timing and disarming poignancy, Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin offers a memoir of growing up in Cold War Russia.

Drama, family secrets, and a KGB spy in his own kitchen! How will Yevgeny ever fulfill his parents’ dream that he become a national hero when he doesn’t even have his own room? He’s not a star athlete or a … Continue reading →

Review: Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian

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Until We Meet Again Lily Kim Qian

Until We Meet Again
Lily Kim Qian
First Second
Published April 21, 2026

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About Until We Meet Again

A poignant and vividly illustrated graphic memoir about a young woman’s search for belonging as her immigrant family moves between Canada and China.

Lily isn’t sure where home is anymore. Her family is constantly on the move, resettling in different towns across Canada and, eventually, in Shanghai, China. Her father plays the role of primary caregiver while her mother is absent for long periods of time. When she reappears, her strange behavior … Continue reading →

Q&A with Eugene Yelchin

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Q&A with Eugene Yelchin

I don’t post many author interviews these days, but I enjoy them. It’s rare that I have a chance to ask questions of an author as widely known as this one. His latest book, I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This, is as haunting as it is relevant.

I read I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This last year, around the end of the summer. It left me thinking about the choices we face as individuals and how we each play a role in a larger story. When I wrote these questions back in November, I had no idea how differently I’d view them after what’s happened in the last two months. I’m grateful for his perspective and willingness to share his hard-won wisdom … Continue reading →

Review: Night by Elie Wiesel

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Night by Elie Wiesel

Night (Night Trilogy #1)
Elie Wiesel
Translated by Marion Wiesel
Hill and Wang
Published January 16, 2006 (Orig. 1956)

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About Night

Born in the town of Sighet, Transylvania, Elie Wiesel was a teenager when he and his family were taken from their home in 1944 to Auschwitz concentration camp, and then to Buchenwald. 

Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel’s memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man.

This new translation by … Continue reading →

Review: I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This by Eugene Yelchin

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I Wish I Didn't Have to Tell You This by Eugene Yelchin

I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This
Eugene Yelchin
Candlewick Press
Published September 16, 2025

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About I Wish I Didn’t Have to Tell You This

In a stunning sequel to The Genius Under the Table, Eugene Yelchin’s graphic memoir depicts his harrowing journey from Leningrad’s underground art scene to a state-run Siberian asylum—and to eventual safety in the US.

No longer the creative little boy under his grandmother’s table, Yevgeny is now a young adult, pursuing his artistic dreams under the constant threat of the KGB’s stranglehold on Russia’s creative scene. When … Continue reading →