Book Review: Our Migrant Souls (May 2023)

And a discussion on Celeste Ng's new book, Our Missing Hearts (2022)

Every Tiny Thought is where I share bookish thoughts on diverse stories from around the world (occasionally before publication), tiny joyous things, and finding home in America. If you are new here, welcome!

Hi friends,

I am excited to share a recent release that has captured my attention: Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of “Latino”, an excellent essay collection by the Pulitzer–winning author, Héctor Tobar. It’s important to include the full title here because it encapsulates the essence of this book: a deep reflection and exploration of the Latino identity and experience in the United States, and a critical examination of its relativity to whiteness, indigeneity, and blackness across time.

In the book, Tobar demystifies the Latino stereotypes often portrayed by the media, television, and films. Through sharing his own family’s story as Guatemalan immigrants and recounting his experience interviewing Latinos across the country, Tobar humanizes the Latino experience and allows the readers to understand more deeply what it means to be Latino. He also sheds light on the often-unseen impact of life-altering, traumatic events, such as border-crossing and forced family separation, on migrant workers’ psyches. 

Most of all, Tobar’s storytelling shows a lot of love, empathy, and pride toward this resilient community of people from heritage across the continents who share a story of empire and displacement. It’s a book full of poignant and heart-breaking stories, intertwined with moments of triumph and pride.

Thank you, Macmillan and NetGalley, for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Our Missing Hearts (2022) by Celeste Ng

I also recently read Celeste Ng’s newest novel, Our Missing Hearts, a dystopian tale that follows the journey of a 12-year-old boy named Bird and his search for his mother, Margret Liu. Liu is a revolutionary poet who’s been on the run since her poems inspired protests across the country. The story takes place during heightened government surveillance, where Asian Americans are closely monitored, and the U.S. blames China’s rising world status for its poverty and other social problems.

I’ve enjoyed Ng’s first two novels, especially her debut novel, Everything I Never Told You, and was looking forward to reading her new work. However, I found myself somewhat disappointed by Our Missing Hearts. While the dystopian premise of the book initially intrigued me, I feel let down by the lack of character development, the slow pace of the story, and the unsubtle references from recent and past events, such as the covid lockdown, violence against Asian communities, social justice protests across the U.S., the Red Scare, and the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. Unfortunately, these references lack a cohesive thread and fail to offer anything fresh.

Although I like the book for its strong message on the danger of anti-Asian racism, I struggled to connect with the story and found it unconvincing. If you’re searching for a recent dystopian novel, I’d recommend The School for Good Mothers (2021) by Jasmine Chan, which offers a more compelling narrative.

Tiny Joyous Things

Last month, my partner and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary on the Big Island of Hawaii. We drove around the island, hiked some waterfalls, and ate a lot of good food. It was a short trip, but I was amazed by how just a few days of vacation replenished my body, my soul, and my stomach.

Shaved ice flavored with soursop and passion fruit, topped with coconut cream; a scenic drive in the mountains near Waimea; and the $1 papaya we bought from a local market in Hilo that was very very sweet.

Tell me in the comments. What brings you joy these days? And what books do you look forward to reading this summer?

As always, thank you for being here.

Until next time,

Yuezhong