First published 1991
Jonathan Raban retraces the journey of J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur, an 18th-century immigrant whose surname translates to "Heartbreak." Two hundred years after Crèvecoeur documented his European-to-American transformation, Raban examines how the promise of America has evolved for successive waves of newcomers. His investigation takes him from the streets of New York, where he poses as homeless, to Alabama, where he attempts to blend in as a local by "renting" an elderly black lab as a companion. In Seattle, he observes Korean immigrants who have embraced the Protestant work ethic with enthusiasm, including one woman who celebrates her adopted country as "So big! So green! So wide-wide-wide!" His travels also lead him to Key West, where he encounters those who have rejected conventional American values entirely. Throughout his cross-country exploration, Raban combines travelogue with social commentary, creating both a contemporary portrait of immigrant experience and an examination of American identity itself.
Genres: american-fiction, travel, american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water
Setting: Alabama, America, Key West, New York, Seattle
Period: 18th-century, 21st-century
Paperback · Picador/Published by Pan Books