In the Country We Love

Publisher's Summary

The star of Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin presents her personal story of the real plight of undocumented immigrants in this country.

Diane Guerrero, the television actress from the megahit Orange Is the New Black and Jane the Virgin, was just 14 years old on the day her parents were detained and deported while she was at school. Born in the US, Guerrero was able to remain in the country and continue her education, depending on the kindness of family friends who took her in and helped her build a life and a successful acting career for herself, without the support system of her family.

In the Country We Love is a moving, heartbreaking story of one woman's extraordinary resilience in the face of the nightmarish struggles of undocumented residents in this country. There are over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the US, many of whom have citizen children, whose lives here are just as precarious, and whose stories haven't been told.

Written with best-selling author Michelle Burford, this memoir is a tale of personal triumph that also casts a much-needed light on the fears that haunt the daily existence of families like the author's and on a system that fails them over and over.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2016 Diane Guerrero (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Important Story and Captivating Read

What did you love best about In the Country We Love?

What I loved best about In the Country We Love is Diane's honesty and bravery. Her story isn't an easy one to share yet she does so in a way that is captivating. Diane's life experiences are from from anything I've known, but I couldn't listen to this story fast enough.

What about Diane Guerrero’s performance did you like?

Diane's performance is animated and full of life. It was also great to her her story in her own voice.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

While I didn't have any extreme reactions to this book, I did get chocked up when Diane retells the story about how she ended up all alone in the United States, without her parents.

Any additional comments?

Fantastic read, especially in light of current affairs.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Heart wrenching and funny!

Diane's story is so raw and relatable to so many in the US. As an immigrant with family trying to get their status corrected I feel her pain and understand the agony of fear that your family could be torn apart.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Just loved it!

What did you like best about this story?

I loved that I was surprised at how invested I became in her journey! I didn't really know what to expect, but I found myself fighting for her in my head! Her story also shed a lot of light on immigration, but she throws in feminism in there too. I loved that she had a point to her book, but it wasn't in your face. In the end she does have a little soap box moment in her last chapter, but she was bringing her reasoning for writing the book up, and I enjoyed what she had to say!

Also, because she is an actress, she changes her voice with characters (not in an annoying way), and it helped me visualize and connect with what was going on. I'm so glad she read it, because I don't think it would've done the book justice with someone else reading.

15 of 20 people found this review helpful

In love with In the Country We Love

This book moved my emotions. There were so many moments I forced back tears. Diane narrated the book herself making it that much better & real!

Her struggles as a young girl in America with her immigrant parents shines a light on the pains many children of immigrants face today. She is the definition of resilience, bravery and I could not recommended this book more so buy it, you will not regret it. Its outstanding! I loved it.

Her struggles were not in vain and she is probably a better, stronger person in spite of them. This book is the voice of the often silenced child of immigrant parents. It is a compelling must read and I am blowen away by her story.

15 of 20 people found this review helpful

An important story I'm so grateful was shared.

I'm a more informed American citizen with a renewed desire to be involved in the immigration conversation as a result of this heartfelt account that I fear is far more common than ANY of us image. Diane tells her story with grace and humor. Her account is personal and the reader feels that. Well written and exceptionally performed. Buy this. Now.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

Amazing story

Diane's story made me cry at multiple times during this book. I am amazed at her perseverance and ability to retell her story. It was a truly inspiring book and I hope she's found the comfort she was looking for at 14.

Diane, your story is important to recount. I'm hopeful that with more stories such as yours, social issues ranging from immigration reform to mental health are spoken of more often. You are amazing.

10 of 14 people found this review helpful

Tear jerker with some 'aww' moments.

Loved it, didn't struggle to finish it. Diane had my full attention. I had preorded the book & was hoping she would be narrating it, she did fantastic. This book is bittersweet, had me in tears, fully awake as I drove all night from Cali to AZ. Immigration reform wasn't a topic that interest me much, but after completing this book, it has me thinking about the families who have to go through this painful ordeal.

12 of 17 people found this review helpful

Probably good if you are a fan

I generally like memoirs of people who had to endure hardships growing up. Last year, I read Undocumented: a Dominican Boy's Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League (by Peralta), and I enjoyed that. That book felt authentic in a way that this did not. Something was missing in the Guerrero book. Maybe her co-author did too much writing, as many of the words and expressions did not ring true. I learned what happened to Diane Guerrero, but she never really came alive on the pages to me. It felt like this was written for an audience of young girls, and it was probably pretty effective for them. But I am an older man, and I got about 60% of the way through this and did not care enough to finish.

11 of 16 people found this review helpful

Informative and Heartbreaking

Learned a lot from this story about deportation and children left behind wen the parents are sent away, and was pretty surprised to find that our country would let these kids fall through the cracks. How disappointing! Did not like the narration at all, feeling it was way too over the top. Also, the story seemed a bit slow moving.

5 of 7 people found this review helpful

Inspiring story and this is just the beginning Diane!

Excellent book one that truly captures the struggles and triumphs of all those in search of a better life.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Yes Diane!

Incredible story, and it's great to hear it from Diane herself. Definitely worth a listen

Hooked!

I loved this audiobook especially because it was narrated by Diane Guerrero herself. It had the right amount of humour, social commentary, and honesty (although I suppose it mighg be a bit triggering for people suffering with self harm issues). Of course we all choose the things we share and things we keep to ourself, but by sharing some of the pretty and the ugly times, thoughts and emotions, she created a multidimensional portrayal of herself that make me like her as a person even more and makes me excited to see what the future holds for her in terms of acting and her activism. All in all, i was hooked by this great read!

An important story for our time

Would you consider the audio edition of In the Country We Love to be better than the print version?

I didn't read the print version

What did you like best about this story?

I really enjoyed how Diane used her story to highlight all the problems with current beliefs around immigration (illegal or otherwise). It also came across as honest and down to earth.

Have you listened to any of Diane Guerrero’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to any other audio books by her but I do enjoy her in Orange is the New Black.

Brilliant

Such a moving, hearbreaking and inspiring book. i couldn't stop listening and I emphatized with Diane's struggle but I also admired her courage. Not only did she survive without her parents to guide and help her, she chose to share her story with us and bring awareness to both mental health and immigration, which is so important. I recognise much of myself in Diane and I was often in tears when she described all the things she overcame. It is by far the best book I've listened to in 2016. Thank you, Diane.

A heartbreaking and beautiful tale of her life.

I started this book a couple of days ago and I have just finished it. I cried, I laughed, my heart ached in good and bad ways, it hurt for the small 14 year old Diane and for the children out there who experience the same thing she did.

It hit close to home when she was talking about her depression and it shook me how she felt.

Her story is compelling and so sad and so beautiful. I will never regret listening to her read her book because it gave it something that reading words on a page would never give it. And I, for one, have been changed on a deep level because of it.