AMERICA IS IN THE HEART

by Carlos Bulosan
 
I’m not sure why important books so often end up in the “Not My Cup Of Tea” category, but America Is In The Heart is another one that I just did not enjoy.  The story is a fictionalized version of Buloson’s own life growing up in a rural, poverty-stricken are of the Philippines and eventually immigrating to the west coast of America to become a laborer and eventually an organizer of laborers.
 
For me the stories from his childhood were the most engaging, and I found that once he arrived in the Untied States it began to feel like just a list of the places he traveled to and the farms where he worked.  When he does get into the details of a story, the writing is beautiful and moving. Certainly Bulosan's life was a difficult one, but ultimately I found this book a bit of a slog. (Lily)