Book Reports : Selected Titles with Brief Abstracts (Summary) for Alief Campus

1. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung

Loung Ung’s memoirs bear witness to her tortured childhood during the murderous reign of the Khmer Rouge in 1970’s Cambodia.

2. The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

Bui meticulously researched her family's history, discovering how their past affects her. Her family's story is full of struggle and heartache, and the author/illustrator beautifully details her parents' escape from Vietnam to the United States in search of a better life.

3. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue--- summary The American dream is put to the test by the economic disaster of 2007.  . This diversely peopled and crisply narrated story follows the trajectories of two Manhattan families, one at the top of the social heap and the other at the bottom. In the foreground is Jende Jonga, an immigrant from Cameroon, his wife, Neni, studying to be a pharmacist, and their young son. When Jende, who has been working as a dishwasher, scores a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a muckety-muck at Lehman Brothers with a troubled wife and similarly aged son, the fates of the Jongas and the Edwardses become entwined.
4. Dusk Tracks On A Road by Zora Neal Hurston-this autobiography still revels in the writer's fresh and genuine voice. Raised within the country's first incorporated all-black township, Hurston flourished without the oppression of color lines. Her prolific writing, brilliance in oral storytelling, and ability to capture the dialect and vernacular of Southern and Caribbean folklore all earned her academic accolades. She fanned an inner faith in herself, listened to her spiritual visions, spoke her mind, and laughed at convention.
5. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly-the untold true story of four African-American women who helped launch our nation into space program.

      6.I know why the caged bird sings / Maya Angelou.

Summary: "Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou's debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local "powhitetrash." At eight years old and back at her mother's side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age--and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others.

7. Becoming by Michelle Obama -Summary: In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America--the first African American to serve in that role--she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world.

8. The Kite Runner
   by Khaled Hosseini
   

   This painful, moving, remarkable debut novel depicts the childhood, adolescence, and adulthood of a deeply flawed protagonist. Growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan, Amir feels unloved by his widowed father, who seems to care more for Hassan, the son of their Hazara servant, Ali. Amir and Hassan are close but not quite friends. On what should have been the best day of his young life, when he wins a kite-flying contest and finally some respect from his father, Amir betrays Hassan and becomes haunted by guilt. Amir comes to California when the Soviets invade his country but returns years later to rescue Hassan's orphaned son from the Taliban and redeem himself. Hosseini, a physician in the San Francisco area, has a wonderful gift for developing distinctive characters and creating a strong sense of place. While far from polished, his narration offers a profound sincerity that might have been missing with a professional reader. A sad and violent yet beautiful and unforgettable story; highly recommended for all collections, especially those with interests in the American immigrant experience

9. You can select only one of these books by SandraCisneros- https://www.sandracisneros.com/

   1. The House on Mango Street
   2.   Woman Hollering Creek and other Stories 
   3.   A House of My Own Stories from Life