I will start by confessing that I did not know who Diane Guerrero was as I have never watched either Jane the Virgin or Orange is the New Black (I know, I'm probably the only one!). However, it fit a prompt and is a timely issue that it is best heard from the experience of someone who lived through the worst case scenario. But this book was more than an immigration story, it was also part mental health story, part a Hollywood story and an activist story as well. There were a lot of very difficult moments to read about through her still very young life. Coming home from school at 14 to find your parents gone and you basically have to take care of yourself now seems a nightmare for most parents and children. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, even my worst enemy. However, just yesterday the House passed an immigration reform bill that I hope is the beginning of a new future not only for many people in our country but for our country itself. I applaud her for coming forward to share her difficult experience. ( )

Originally posted on ars shatomica.

Don’t make the mistake of reading In the Country We Love: My Family Divided in a public place. Otherwise you will be like me, in an Austin sushi restaurant, trying not to let tears fall into some delicious rolls, as I read about the awful experience of Diane’s parents’ sudden deportation and her being left alone at age 14. Fortunately not all of the book is heart-wrenching! With the aid of Michelle Burford, Diane’s confident, funny voice shines through with her appropriately placed hashtags and real talk.

But at the heart of this book, it’s a memoir about the impact of the deportation of two immigrants—who made every attempt at becoming citizens but in the end were swindled by a sketchy, corrupt lawyer, btw—upon their daughter, the solo U.S. citizen in her family. Times were definitely not easy for Diane as she waded through adulthood far too early at age 14 and navigated herself through finishing high school, picking a college, and ultimately working towards fulfilling her dream of becoming a performer. Spoiler alert: she did! Diane plays Maritza on Orange is the New Black and Lina on Jane the Virgin.

In the Country We Love is one the best memoirs I’ve read in a long time, and frankly, it’s because this book has a discernible purpose other than the author waxing about their life: the United States needs immigration reform. Diane’s parents’ struggles with navigating paperwork in a language they made every attempt at learning was heartbreaking and even more so when they put themselves in the hands of corruption. I’m paraphrasing Diane here, but I agree when she wrote that regardless of where you stand on the immigration debate, the U.S. government should not have abandoned its own citizen: no social worker or child protection service worker ever showed up at her door after ICE sent her parents off to Colombia.

By now, any sensible person should know the “American Dream” is far from a dream, and the effects of its expectations against reality actually can be nightmares. The Guerreo’s tried! They tried to learn English, they tried to get their paperwork in order, they tried nearly damn everything to become citizens, but our system let them down. It’s infuriating to think that we promise America as this land of plenty where all your hopes and dreams can come true, but in reality, it’s not. Our system is not built to make any of this easy or live up to the so-called ideals of the “American Dream.”

What I loved, though, was Diane and her family did prevail through their struggles, even if their lives didn’t exactly turn out as they had hoped or planned. This memoir was a really great read, despite the heavy matter. I cannot recommend it enough for those wanting a perspective someone failed by our immigration system and the promise of birthright citizenship. ( )

This book is an invaluable perspective of how a broken immigration system can result in lasting repercussions for families and friends left behind. After immigrating to the U.S. illegally, Guerrero's Colombian parents attempt to pursue a legal path towards citizenship. For years, they pay taxes, work several jobs, put their kids through school and give thousands of dollars in fees to so-called immigration attorneys only to discover they've been conned. After the sudden deportation of her parents, 14-year old, U.S. citizen Guerrero is left with friends of the family to fend for herself.

Guerrero's story is moving and fraught with so much adversity. But, the book is unfortunately really poorly written. And, I'm not just talking about the typos, of which there were several. To be fair, Guerrero isn't a writer by trade. She was an actress on the show "Orange is the New Black" and her story might be better served in an audiobook format where Guerrero can speak colloquially and deliver her sense of humor that dominates most of the book.

Take for example an upsetting chapter where Guerrero discusses self-harm and two attempts of suicide after struggling with crippling debt and deep depression. Inexplicably, she decides: Hey, I know I was literally just about to jump off this building but let's start the next page with a full-page picture of me in a corset from my bartending days. *Insert nervous laughter* K, thank you. ( )

nonfiction/memoir (14-y.o. American citizen of Columbian descent is "orphaned" when her parents are deported for being undocumented immigrants; depression/self-cutting; ADD dyslexia learning disability and struggling in HS/college; the hard road to following her dream of becoming an actor). I hope this helps people, especially teens and kids, who feel otherwise alone out there--dealing with any one of the things that Diane went through could easily make one lose hope. ( )

Guerrero superbly puts a human face on an important issue, immigration reform, by sharing her own story. ( )