LAND OF BROKEN PROMISES, by Jane Kuo, Quill Tree Books, June 6, 2023, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)
A Taiwanese immigrant learns her immigration status and pursuit of the American Dream are at risk in Land of Broken Promises, by Jane Kuo.
After a rocky first year, Anna’s family have settled into life in California — their small restaurant is even turning a profit. Then her parents make a shattering discovery: their visas have expired.
Anna’s world is quickly overwhelmed by unfamiliar words like “undocumented” and “inequality.” She longs to share the towering secret that looms over every aspect of her life with a friend, but her parents strictly forbid her from telling anyone.
As Anna grapples with the complexities of being undocumented, the strain that it places on her family, and the loneliness of keeping it all to herself, she has to wonder — if America is the promised land, why does everything she’s hoped for feel like a lie? —Synopsis provided by Quill Tree Books
I did not realize Land of Broken Promises was a sequel/companion piece to Jane Kuo’s In the Beautiful Country, which follows Anna and her parents as they move to the United States from Taiwan.
The good news is that Land of Broken Promises stands alone. I never once had any questions about characters or plot. And now that Kuo has another book, I can’t wait to read it.
Written in verse, Land of Broken Promises is a beautiful mix of detail and sparsity. Kuo balances the two, providing needed structure in some places and room for imagination in others.
Though set in the 1980s, Land of Broken Promises gives young readers a broad introduction to immigration and citizenship and the very real struggles surrounding them. And at the center of everything is Anna, a girl who just wants to live like her classmates.
Land of Broken Promises is a heartfelt novel loosely based on the author’s real-life experiences. I highly recommend it.
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