TITLE: Ask Me No Questions
AUTHOR: Marina Budhos
PUBLISHER: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
PUBLISHED DATE: September 11, 2007
ISBN: 978-1416949206
PAGES: 176
14 year old Nadira Hossein is a plus-cious girl who wants to be as smart and beautiful as her older sister Aisha. Her family is rocked to the core after the attacks on September 11. Budhos describes the complicated immigration status narrative in this tender story about a family that overstayed a tourist visa, and in trying to become documented, their father is detained. Aisha, with high prospects of getting into an Ivy League school suddenly sees her dreams unraveling. It is Nadira, forever in the shadows, who steps into the spotlight and thinks quick to save the family.
Though the Hossein's are a Muslim Bangladeshi family, lots of immigrants in the United States could relate to this stories. I know scores of people who at one point or another face document status issues. Whether they're graduating from college, and desperate to find a job that will not only hire them, but then sponsor them for a work visa or they came to visit family and never want to back to their country. For many who come to the USA, fall in love with this country and wish to make it their home, there aren't a lot of pathways to stay. It can e a daunting time, particularly for a teen. The story wrapped up a little too happily ever after at the end for me. This unfortunately is not the case for many people who find themselves in this situation.
Recommendation: Read it
Audience: Young Adults (Grade 7 and up)