Thursday, August 16, 2012

My New American Life by Francine Prose

I really enjoyed this book.  It was about a young Armenian woman named Lula who works as a housekeeper for a father and son outside of Manhattan.  The story follows her relationships with them and with her immigration lawyer.  Things get interesting when some fellow Armenians find her and insert themselves into her tidy life.

What was great about this book was the author's ability to detail different aspects of Lula's story.  In some cases, we learn about her first few months in the US in a bar with other immigrant friends.  In other cases, we peek into her domestic life.  We see her act as a caretaker for the teenage boy in the home she works in, as well as for his father.  And the scenes with the other Armenians are very rich - the contrast between her life and theirs very sharp while their similarities are also brought into focus.

I'd enjoy reading something else by Prose in the future.

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