Below is a list of books that one or more members of the Immigrant and Refugee Justice Team have read and would recommend, along with our comments. All of these are available in Hancock’s Potter Library, at your municipal library (or through Interlibrary Loan), or from Amazon, and may be found in local bookstores. All are good reads.
About U.S. Immigration
- Enrique’s Journey: The Story of a Boy’s Dangerous Odyssey to Reunite with His Mother by Sonia Nazario (2006, 2014). We see this book recommended more than any other, and it’s a remarkable book, providing great insight into why would-be immigrants leave Central America and what they go through to get to the U.S. Nazario’s LA Times story, which was expanded to this book form, won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 2003.
- The Death of Josseline by Margaret Regan (2010). Another great book on immigration across our southern border. A 2010 Southwest Book of the Year and a Common Read for the Unitarian Universalist Association.
- The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantu (2018). A thoughtful and somewhat controversial look at the immigration crisis from the point of view of a former border agent. Named a Top Ten Book of 2018 by the Washington Post.
- The Devil’s Highway: A True Story by Luis Alberto Urrea (2004, 2014). A compelling story of a group of Mexicans who become lost attempting to cross the border, and a number perish. Written in a more literary style than Enrique’s Journey; sort of the southwestern border equivalent of A Perfect Storm. Pulitzer Prize finalist.
- The Far Away Brothers: Two Young Migrants and the Making of An American Life by Lauren Markham (2017). A well-researched, unvarnished story of two immigrant brothers fleeing Central America and the life they made in the U.S.; offers good insight into the flood of unaccompanied minors from Central America in recent years and the challenges of life in the U.S. An LA Times Book Prize finalist.
About the Worldwide Refugee Crisis
- The New Odyssey by Patrick Kingsley (2016). This left one of us in awe; what Kingsley went through to paint a detailed and fairly comprehensive picture of the European immigration crisis of 2015 is extraordinary; great journalism. Named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2017.
- A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea by Melissa Fleming (2017). This is a remarkable and heartbreaking story of one Syrian refugee’s experience. Winner of an Alex award for 2018.
- Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St. John (2009). A fascinating story of youth soccer teams composed of recent refugees from around the world, settled in a small southern town. Offers good insight into why people flee their homes, and the refugee resettlement experience.
- City of Thorns by Ben Rawlence (2016). A great profile of life in one of the world’s largest refugee camps; so many threads that it’s a bit challenging to follow, but provides great insight. Named a Best of Book of the Year by The Economist and Foreign Affairs.
- Chasing Chaos: My Decade In and Out of Humanitarian Aid by Jessica Alexander (2013). An honest, entertaining memoir about one young woman’s journey as a humanitarian aid worker at some of the world’s worst natural and man-made disasters. Offers good insight into the challenges of the refugee crisis. Once you finish, for an update on her life, Google the 2016 Vogue article she wrote.