An American Immigrant

A Novel

De: Johanna Rojas Vann

Narrado por: Allison Strong

CHRISTY AWARD WINNER • A Colombian American journalist tries to save her career by taking an assignment somewhere she never thought she’d go—Colombia—in this heartwarming debut novel about rediscovering our family stories.

“A beautiful homage to a mother’s bravery and to the grace and grit that is our inheritance.”—Alicia Menendez, MSNBC anchor and creator and host of the Latina to Latina podcast

International Latino Book Award Gold Winner for Best First Book—Fiction; Silver Winner for The Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Fiction • Tennessee State Book Award Finalist

Twenty-five-year-old Melanie Carvajal, a hardworking but struggling journalist for a Miami newspaper, loves her Colombian mother but regularly ignores her phone calls, frustrated that she never quite takes the time to understand Melanie’s life. When the opportunity arises for a big assignment that might save her flagging career, Melanie follows the story to the land of her mother’s birth. She soon realizes Colombia has the potential to connect her, after all these years, to something she’s long ignored: her heritage, the love of her mother, her family, and the richest parts of herself.

Colombia offers more than a chance to make a name for herself as a writer. It is a place of untold stories.

Inspired by real-life events, An American Immigrant is a story of culture and community, of abiding commitment to family, and of embracing our culture and the generations that have come before.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“A beautiful homage to a mother’s bravery and the grace and grit that is our inheritance. An American Immigrant is a clarion call to water our roots and refuse to allow those we love to be lost in translation.”—Alicia Menendez, MSNBC anchor and creator and host of Latina to Latina podcast

“In a yearning and humbling journey to the place of her mother’s birth, a fictional Miami journalist discovers her innermost worth by yielding to family truth, creative courage, and cultural clarity—which she needs to give both her heart and the hard world her authentic best. An enchanting, brave, and uplifting story of discovery, family love, and determined hope.”—Patricia Raybon, Christy Award–winning author of the Annalee Spain Mystery series and My First White Friend: Confessions on Race, Love, and Forgiveness

“In An American Immigrant, Johanna Rojas Vann delivers a powerful exploration of the risks we face in pursuit of a better life. By weaving a compelling and emotional tale, she offers readers a fresh examination of identity, truth, generational sacrifice, and the real meaning of home. Ideal for book clubs, this story will have people talking.”—Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials

“Johanna Rojas Vann takes readers on a journey that brings about knowledge, empathy, relatability, connection, and empowerment. The food and culture made me want to dig up recipes and follow in Melanie’s shoes in An American Immigrant and celebrate the blessings God brings us. Readers don’t want to miss this uplifting story!”—Toni Shiloh, Christy Award–winning author

“Not only does An American Immigrant celebrate tradition and cultural exploration, but it is a captivating journey of self-discovery that serves as a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to go after your dreams on your own terms. Melanie’s story is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the power of family and the true meaning of home.”—Courtney Dyksterhouse, media personality and former news anchor

“I don’t usually read fiction, but Johanna’s storytelling gripped me from the start, and I wasn’t able to put An American Immigrant down. I highly recommend this book!”—Jordan Raynor, bestselling author of Redeeming Your Time and Called to Create

A must listen or read!

This book was so easy to relate. Very engaged and so many emotions. I couldn’t stop listening. Thank you!

Loved the stories of immigrants

I LOVED listening to this book! It's an easy listen to amazing stories of immigrants. Especially with the political times we are in now, this was an eye opening story.

A Good Tale

An American Immigrant was a good story detailing the fight to reach America and the challenges faced by 2nd generation children. The narrator also did a good job with the various characters and different emotions. I enjoyed it and recommend it

Culture

I very much enjoyed this book. The story is like real life. It made me miss my long gone family. I wish I could’ve asked so many questions. Thank you for your story

The potential storyline

I really liked where the storyline was headed but I felt like this is a book for much more young minds. I would’ve preferred something a little less heartfelt and a bit more intense. The performance of the narrator was good but definitely more for a less mature audience

RECOMMEND

I listened to it on my way to work and home, everyday I’ll get excited to know what was coming going to happen next. As a first generation daughter, I relate to this story with both the mom and the daughter. It’s open my eyes about my own life.

Immigrants !

Loved the opportunity to hear a voice sharing the immigrant experience’s impact on the next generations

More than a story.

So many books only tell a story. This one does that but also teaches a lesson. It reminds us, maybe for the first time, that our parents have lived lives, too, and if we do not ask about their stories, we lose our chance at something incredibly special. It highlights the importance of knowing your family and having curiosity about where and who you come from. Also, great narration. Highly recommend!

Soo glad this book found me!

This book found me! How? I don't know, but I feel like I was supposed to read it. I really loved this book. As a child of immigrant parents from Colombia there are so many things that I can relate to Melanie about. There are things in Melanie that I feel my own 3rd generation children would relate to her to as well. I appreciated how the author developed the mother/daughter relationship and that the journals were such a big part of that discovery. Listening to this book really made a difference for me as the narrator made these characters come alive and so relatable through accents and recognizable sayings. This book appeals to the writer in everyone. It really does inspire me to want to write my own parents story one day. I have shared this book with my own Colombian girlfriends as a book club read this month so that discussion will be fantastic to say the least. And I have suggested to my boys to read it before our own trip to Colombia and Mexico this summer. We've never been there together and I am hoping that by reading it they will also be able to see their parents cultures with open arms and open hearts. Thank you for sharing such a lovely story!

Absolutely Beatiful

An absolutely beautiful story that will touch the soul of any immigrant or child of immigrants. It was one of those books that you wish wouldn’t end.