Miriam’s Comments (group member since Jan 09, 2018)

Miriam’s comments from the Words Between Worlds group.

I really liked Casey and Unu together. I thought they were good for one another, but I don't like how they didn't challenge each other to be better. I always thought it was odd how Casey seemed so chill about Unu's gambling. But this was probably due to her debts, and not wanting to be judged on her choices.

Ted is such a jerk. I really didn't like his character to begin with, and then my dislike grew as we see what he does to Ella and their marriage. I realize the fault is never in one person, and that his cheating was a symptom on the fact that he and Ella never should've married in the first place.

I would love to say that if I had to chose between making money for money's sake and doing something I'm passionate about, I'd chose passion. But I also know what poverty is, and needing to work to survive. I think Casey knows the need to survive as well, and part of why she didn't pursue hat making may have been because she knew she would need to rely on Sabine to help fund it. She wanted to make it on her own, without Sabine's help.

I think there is a lot of pressure being a child from an immigrant family, or even a poor family. You don't have time to mess around and "figure things out" after you graduate. It's time to get serious, earn some money, and move forward. I felt pressure from my family, but that was mostly pressure to not be poor. I grew up very poor, and my single mom was often working two or even three jobs to raise us. My job was to get an education and a good job so I wasn't in the same situation.

That scene with Casey and her parents broke my heart, and made me angry. I wanted to mediate, to help them see one another's perspectives, and find common ground. While her father was totally in the wrong (SO WRONG) for what he did, I also understand where he is coming from. He worked so hard for Casey to go to school, and from his perspective, she was wasting it all away. Casey needed her parents to understand that was she unsure of where to go next. Instead, pride made her push them away.

So my diverse bookish journey started when I was young. I don't even remember the name of the book, just that it was about a Native American women in pioneer times. It was the first time I read something with a non-white character, and I couldn't get enough! In High School, I discovered Toni Morrison and Alice Walker, and for the first time, felt a sort of kinship. I knew that my experience was no where near that of an African-American woman, but it was so refreshing to read something that was not white! In college, I discovered Sandra Cisneros and almost cried. House on Mango Street changed me, and helped me realize I could see myself in books.

I love reading diverse books because I not only feel that I can relate to them, but I also learn so much! I'm especially interested in any books that discuss being a POC in a white society. Celeste Ng does a really good job of writing that experience, as does Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.