Beautiful Country (book)
{{short description|2021 memoir by Qian Julie Wang}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Beautiful Country
| image = Beautiful Country book cover.jpg
| alt =
| caption = First edition
| author = Qian Julie Wang
| audio_read_by = Qian Julie Wang
| country = United States
| language = English
| subject = Memoir
| publisher = Doubleday
| pub_date = September 7, 2021
| media_type = Print (hardcover), e-book, audiobook
| pages = 320
| isbn = 978-0385547215
| isbn_note = (hardcover)
| oclc =
| dewey =
| congress =
}}
Beautiful Country: A Memoir of an Undocumented Childhood is a 2021 memoir by Chinese American lawyer Qian Julie Wang. It was published on September 7, 2021 by Doubleday, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In The New York Times, reviewer Elisabeth Egan described the book as a "powerful story" that "reminds us how lucky we are to have the privileges unlocked by this little blue booklet [United States passport] — and what others risk and endure every day in hopes of getting one too."{{Cite news |title=New to the American Melting Pot, and Finding Its Taste Bittersweet |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/books/group-text-beautiful-country-qian-julie-wang.html|first=Elizabeth|last=Egan|date=September 7, 2021 |access-date=October 5, 2022}} The book's title derives from the literal translation of the Chinese word for the United States ({{zh|t=|s=美国|p=Měiguó}}), which means "beautiful country".{{cite news |date=September 7, 2021 |title='Beautiful Country,' by Qian Julie Wang: An Excerpt |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/books/review/beautiful-country-by-qian-julie-wang-an-excerpt.html |access-date=October 5, 2022}}
Synopsis
In Beautiful Country, Wang writes about the hardships that she and her parents faced upon their arrival to the United States in 1994, as undocumented immigrants from China. She discusses the numerous challenges she faced growing up in poverty, and how she emerged from all of it with her dreams bruised but intact.
Publication and promotion
Wang wrote the book on her phone during her subway commute to her law office, finishing a first draft in 2019.{{cite news |last=Proudfoot |first=Jenny |date=October 7, 2021 |title=Qian Julie Wang on her undocumented childhood, the salvation of reading and her powerful new memoir |url=https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/books/qian-julie-wang-book-club-747655 |access-date=October 5, 2022 |newspaper=Marie Claire}}
Beautiful Country was published in hardcover and e-book format on September 7, 2021, by Doubleday, an imprint of Penguin Random House. An audiobook, narrated by Wang, was released the same day.{{Cite book |title=Beautiful Things: A Memoir|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouseaudio.com/book/670389/beautiful-country/|access-date=October 5, 2022 |date=September 7, 2022 |isbn=9780385547215 |last1=Wang |first1=Qian Julie |publisher=Penguin Random House }} Beautiful Country was also available through the Book of the Month club as one of its selections for the month of September 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.bookofthemonth.com/category-hardcovers/september-2021|title=Book of the Month selections for September 2021|access-date=December 13, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bookofthemonth.com/all-hardcovers/beautiful-country-1059|title=Book of the Month, 'Beautiful Country' by Qian Julie Wang|access-date=December 13, 2024}}
Following its publication, Wang promoted her memoir through a series of media appearances, including an interview on NBC's Today Show with Jenna Bush Hager, who had recommended the "impactful" memoir to her "Read with Jenna" book club.{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/video/-beautiful-country-author-qian-julie-wang-talks-to-jenna-bush-hager-120398405765|title='Beautiful Country' author Qian Julie Wang talks to Jenna Bush Hager|newspaper=The Today Show|date=September 8, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/shop/read-jenna-book-club-september-2021-selection-t230054|title=Jenna Bush Hager selects 'impactful' memoir for September 2021 book club pick|first=Stephanie|last=Larratt|newspaper=The Today Show|date=September 8, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2022}} Wang also promoted the book on NPR and at the Chicago Humanities Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/09/18/1038533093/qian-julie-wang-details-a-life-in-hei-in-memoir-beautiful-country|title=Qian Julie Wang Details A Life In 'Hei' In Memoir 'Beautiful Country'|first=Scott|last=Simon|newspaper=NPR|date=September 18, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://columbiachronicle.com/bestselling-author-qian-julie-wang-visits-campus-shares-her-story-as-an-undocumented-immigrant|title=Bestselling author Qian Julie Wang visits campus, shares her story as an undocumented immigrant|first=Nathan|last=Sirkin|newspaper=The Columbia Chronicle|date=September 30, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/shop/read-jenna-author-qian-julie-wang-her-mother-s-love-t232360|title=Read With Jenna: author Qian Julie Wang on worry, her mother's talisman of love|newspaper=The Today Show|date=September 30, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2022}}
The book debuted at number three on The New York Times' nonfiction best-seller list.{{cite web|url=https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2021/12/16/nytimes-author-qian-julie-wang-conversations-racism-larchmont-book-club/8894263002/|title=Best-selling author decries racism, xenophobia after Larchmont book club event experience|first=Eduardo|last=Cuevas|newspaper=The Journal News|date=December 16, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://girlswritenow.org/event/dec3salon/|title=Friday Night Salon - Secrets and Lies with Qian Julie Wang author of Beautiful Country|newspaper=Girls Write Now|date=December 3, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2022}}
Reception
Rana Foroohar of the Financial Times wrote that Beautiful Country "shows us how struggle can grind people down, making them as paranoid and cruel to each other as the system is to them."{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/7d7329b5-fa0e-41a6-8ee2-93027579a3f8|title=Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang — fear and prejudice in Chinatown|first=Rana|last=Foroohar|newspaper=The Financial Times|date=September 16, 2022|access-date=October 5, 2022}} Kaitlin Jefferys of Voice magazine wrote that the memoir leaves readers with a positive message: "cling on to your dreams no matter your circumstances."{{cite web|url=https://www.voicemag.uk/review/10024/review-beautiful-country-by-julie-qian-wang|title=Review: Beautiful Country by Julie Qian Wang|newspaper=Voice Magazine|first=Kaitlin|last=Jefferys|date=October 22, 2022|access-date=October 5, 2022}}
In December 2021, former President of the United States Barack Obama included Beautiful Country in his top 13 book recommendations of 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/16/former-us-president-barack-obama-top-book-recommendations-of-2021.html|title=Here are Barack Obama's top 13 book recommendations of 2021|first=Megan|last=Sauer|newspaper=CNBC|date=December 16, 2021|access-date=October 5, 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.qianjuliewang.com/bio Author's website]
- {{cite web | title=Qian Julie Wang: Beautiful Country | website=YouTube | date=October 7, 2021 |publisher=Chicago Humanities Festival |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D2YG4pRzzk }}
- {{cite web | title=Beautiful Country: An Evening with Qian Julie Wang | website=YouTube | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut-ULgb0lWo |date=May 18, 2022 |publisher=MuseumofCityNY |postscript=; May 9th, 2022, lecture by Qian Julie Wang }}
Category:2021 non-fiction books
Category:English-language non-fiction books
Category:Literature by Chinese-American women