Review 318: Alien Nation: 36 True Tales of Immigration

Alien Nation: 36 True Tales of Immigration by Sofija Stefanovic
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book seems perfect for audio, a compilation of personal short stories, tales of their lives that showcases being an immigrant. Some are humorous, some serious, many filled with poignant moments. I found they are just a little too short, these glimpses into their individual lives. Unfortunately, I did not have an audio copy, I read the print instead.

It’s easy to set the book down, I felt like I read enough about half-way through but would return now and then to read one or two more of the essays. I’m glad I did, because some of my favorite selections were near the end of the book. The illustrator for the cover is one of them, and he is the last entry.

There is an advantage to print, you can skip around easily. The book is grouped together in sections, seemingly tied together with a similar theme.

With my strong desire to hear the voices, not just what was in my head, I searched the internet and found a video with some of the included authors at a New York Public Library Live event reading part of their essays, which is found here: https://youtu.be/LmNjumtemEA

Sadly, these are even shorter versions, snippets of the short essays, but happily, they are the authors speaking. There are around twelve people showcased in the video compared to the 36 authors included in the book.

There is an audiobook version, that has two narrators, so it isn’t the writers themselves reading their works.