Home › Books › After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story…
After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America
by
85/99
Critics
78/99
Readers
n/a
Scholars
93/99
Rating
77/99
Volume
98/99
Rating
57/99
Volume
—
Sign in to add to your shelf, rate, or review this book.
About This Book
Simply brilliant, both in its granular storytelling and its enormous compassion --The New York Times Book Review The story of two refugee families and their hope and resilience as they fight to survive and belong in America The welcoming and acceptance of immigrants and refugees have been central to America's identity for centuries--yet America has periodically turned its back in times of the greatest humanitarian need. After the Last Border is an intimate look at the lives of two women as they struggle for the twenty-first century American dream, having won the golden ticket to settle as refugees in Austin, Texas. Mu Naw, a Christian from Myanmar struggling to put down roots with her family, was accepted after decades in a refugee camp at a time when America was at its most open to displaced families; and Hasna, a Muslim from Syria, agrees to relocate as a last resort for the safety of her family--only to be cruelly separated from her children by a sudden ban on refugees from Muslim countries. Writer and activist Jessica Goudeau tracks the human impacts of America's ever-shifting refugee policy as both women narrowly escape from their home countries and begin the arduous but lifesaving process of resettling in Austin--a city that would show them the best and worst of what America has to offer. After the Last Border situates a dramatic, character-driven story within a larger history--the evolution of modern refugee resettlement in the United States, beginning with World War II and ending with current closed-door policies--revealing not just how America's changing attitudes toward refugees have influenced policies and laws, but also the profound effect on human lives.
Preview
Reviews
"Their histories emerge through alternating chapters broken up by excerpts that provide social and political background about American refugee resettlement from the nineteenth century to the present day."
"Ultimately what makes this book's truths resonate is the spirit of collaboration out of which it was born combined with Goudeau's commitment to the highest standards of journalistic ethics."
"Sharp, provocative, timely reading."
"What makes this book so different from other works that tell similar stories is the talent and doggedness of Goudeau, who spent years working with refugees in Austin, and brings an insider's authority to the page."
"While the absence of pictures and real names makes it more difficult to mentally and emotionally connect with the two main characters, Goudeau rises to the reporting and writing challenge, showing how seemingly ordinary tasks such as struggling to operate a shower control amplifies loneliness and the loss of everything the refugees once knew ..."
"Journalist Goudeau presents a richly detailed account of the resettlement experiences of two women granted refugee status in the U.S."
Reader Reviews
0 reviewsSign in to write a review.
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!