A famous writer exiled from Albania and Greece.
A Somali nomad-turned-multinational banker.
An Asian-born virtuoso violinist with perfect pitch, and many more . . .
In this eye-opening collection of immigrant trials, triumphs, and contributions, leading immigration lawyer Susan Cohen invites you to walk with her clients as they share their incredible journeys coming to America while overcoming unimaginable dangers and often heartbreaking obstacles abroad. Cohen masterfully uplifts marginalized voices, laying bare the remarkable realities of staggering hardships and inspiring resilience.
Sprinkled with amusing anecdotes, tense junctures, and heartwarming segments, you will sit front and center at the courtroom learning about US immigration policies and systems—which often become an immigrant’s greatest hurdle—while also discovering the ways unscrupulous American citizens take advantage of those not born in the States. As you ride the ups and downs and follow the zig-zagging twists and turns of their travails, you will discover the many ways immigrants from all over the world give back to their local communities and enrich the fabric of the nation. Finding yourself enmeshed in their stories, you will gain insight, grow in empathy, and come to understand what it truly takes to become an American citizen.
Cohen, one of the nation’s top immigration lawyers, shares eleven extraordinary journeys of her pro bono clients in this stellar book of true stories. They include tales of fleeing unimaginable horrors before acheiving success in the U.S. Chinese immigrants Peng and his wife, whom Cohen doesn’t name, were forced to have a horrific abortion at eight months for defying China’s one-child policy. Rwandan Audrey Uwimana faced rape and the murder of loved ones, while Sudanese Samuel Bol, after surviving his country’s brutal civil war, walked 1,000 miles to Kenya in his quest for a new life. But, as Cohen reports, her subjects don’t dwell on their difficult journeys, focusing instead on the opportunities made available in this country.Cohen ably puts a human face on these stories, emphasizing inspiring achievements. Honduran José Salgado, after earning a Ph.D in education from Harvard, accepted a job as principal of an underprivileged Boston middle school and made it a national success story. Cohen also details the experiences of violin prodigy Helen Kim, who, in addition to playing sold-out shows around the globe, earned a full scholarship to Harvard, as well as Somali Jamal Ali Hussein, who single-handedly financed building and staffing a school in his hometown after earning his Harvard MBA.
Cohen and her co-author Taylor make these remarkable and heartbreaking stories leap off the page and into readers’ hearts. The author’s deep respect of, and empathy for, her courageous clients is evident on every page, a beacon of light in dark days for U.S. immigration policy. Cohen lays bare how the Trump Administration has irreparably set back immigrants’ causes, stirring distrust for immigrants and their motives. This heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting work calls for and demonstrates empathy and understanding for the atrocities that so many immigrants are fleeing, while always highlighting their vital contributions to the U.S. and the world.
Takeaway: Inspiring and heartbreaking, these accounts of recent immigrant success stories cry for a more empathetic United States.
Great for fans of: Helen Zia’s Last Boat Out of Shanghai, Vinh Chung and Tim Downs’s Where the Wind Leads.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
