Land of Broken Promises

I got Land of Broken Promises by Jane Kuo from the library after reading its predecessor, In the Beautiful Country. This book continues Anna's story, and the book description reads, "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 with a friend the towering secret that looms over every aspect of her life, 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?"

This was a great read. I really like Anna as a character, and I think it's really cool that the author loosely bases these books on her own childhood experience (growing up in CA, working at her family's fast food restaurant, living as an undocumented immigrant). Just like the first, this book was a great reminder of the sacrifices many immigrants have to make as they try to make a new life in America.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)