What a great book! Following Melanie throughout this book was insightful. Staying in Cali with her family before she is supposed to travel to Bogota for work, she learns so much about her Colombian heritage and culture that she has tried so long to push away and forget. Through reading her mother’s journals and spending time with her family, she is overcome with emotion on just how much of her family and even herself that she has missed out on. She really goes through an evaluation of what is important to her, and she truly leans into the little time she has with her family on this trip. The experience changes everything for Melanie, and she begins to write a combination of what she read in her mother’s journals and her own experiences as an American immigrant.

In the author’s note, Johanna explains that she, like Melanie, also learned about her own mother’s experience of crossing the border into the US later in life. I love that Abuela was also mirrored after her own grandmother. Absolutely precious. Abuela also gives some incredible quotes through the book. She is a calm and firm voice of reason, and a reminds Melanie, and the reader, how important it is to empathize and walk in someone else’s shoes before immediately casting judgment. Melanie is able to reconnect with her mother through the vulnerability of the journals and experiencing the town her mother grew up in. And her mother’s story is so brave and powerful, and I love that she is reminded of that. Getting the two timelines was so interesting and I loved the different perspectives. Genesis and Evelyn were incredible friends. The focus on this book was about a woman and the women who came before her — female, immigrant empowerment. I love when details from the book are displayed on the cover and I was not disappointed in the slighted with this book.

★★★★★

When a Colombian American journalist tries to save her career by taking an assignment somewhere she never thought she'd go-Colombia-she discovers life-changing stories from her family's past.

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.

My thoughts: WOW I can write a super long review because I enjoyed it so much and related to it but I am going to keep it short! This was a fantastic debut novel by Johanna Rojas Vann! I could not put this book down! As a daughter of an immigrant I really appreciated this book!

I like how Melanie got to reconnect with her roots and family! She always felt like a part of her was missing and she was slowly finding that missing piece. I like that we not only got to follow Melanie’s story but also her mother’s! It was nice to be able to know Melanies thoughts and know why she acted or did certain things!

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley & WaterBrook & Multnomah for this ARC! Also thank you to Johanna for the physical copy! 🩷

I really loved this story! The writing was fresh, and the characters especially Anita, Genesis, and Alba were incredible! I loved the theme of discovering your roots and identity. Just so well-written for a debut novel. Highly recommend!

Melanie Carvajal is a struggling journalist at the Miami Herald. At just twenty five years old Melanie has always yearned to be a writer. She studied journalism in college and is ready for her career to flourish. When a big story breaks in Colombia she volunteers to take the assignment. Although her mother is from Colombia, she herself has never been there and in all honesty spent her childhood wishing away her latin heritage. Growing up in Maryland in a tiny apartment, Melanie always wished she had better clothes, more money and parents that spoke English. She didn’t care for the smell of foreign food that filled her lunchbox and aunts who spoke too loudly. Since her Grandmother Alba’s birthday is approaching she decides to meet her mother for a celebration before heading to Bogota for work. Overly concerned about her safety, food and even water - Melanie is hesitant to allow herself to enjoy the visit. As she slowly loosens up and begins cooking with Alba, dancing with cousins she had never met and reading her mother’s old journals, Melanie has a change of heart. For the very first time she can see her familia in a new light; their generosity and kindness so unlike the violence in Colombia that she has been drilled into her brain via tv and newspapers. Devouring her mother’s journals she learns of the struggles and sacrifices she made so her children could have a better life and it is only then that Melanie finally finds her story. American immigrant novel filled with culture, community and the gift of family. Writing pretty simple and straight forward, would be perfect for a YA reader.

The cover immediately attracted me since the colors are so vibrant and appealing.
A daughter learns so much about her mother when she discover her journals and reads about her journey to the US.
I liked the three dimensional story that included Melanie, Anita, and Alba The grandmother was my favorite because I liked her spirit and tenacity.
The beauty of the book is introducing readers to Colombian culture and reading a factionalized version of Vann’s family’s history.
I made quick work of this book.

Daughter of a Colombian immigrant, Melanie is struggling to fulfill her dreams as a journalist. she has landed a job at the Miami Herald but has yet to get any of her work published, constantly being criticized by her boss. But when an assignment to write an article about Colombia is thrown out at a meeting, Melanie finds herself volunteering to the write the story of her mother's homeland, in the hopes of landing THE story that will jumpstart her stalling career. The timing is impeccable as her mother Anita is returning for her grandmother's birthday and Melanie has not visited Colombia before. Once in Cali, Melanie is introduced to her cousins and a rich life of culture and belonging, so different from the media portrayal of the drug cartels and violence. And in her room, Melanie finds Anita's old journals that chronicle her mother's youth and the circumstances that led her to flee Colombia and start over in the US.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. At fist, Melanie's character irritated me but as she was absorbed into life in Colombia, her character developed more depth and compassion. The story of how 3 generations of women were able to come together was beautiful as Melanie's relationship with her mother deepened under the watchful loving eye of her grandmother. I appreciated the "other side" of life in Colombia, because the author is right. The media only portrays the negative aspects but Colombian culture is bursting with life and love and this novel aims to share that with the world.

Thank you to WaterBrook and Multnomah and Netgalley for this early review copy in exchange for my thoughts.

This is such a beautifully woven story of three Cuban women and their connection with their homeland and America.
A visit to her Abuela helps Melanie see how important her heritage and being an immigrant in America is.

We learn a lot as a reader about the heritage of these women and how it has shaped them, but also how being American Immigrants has shaped them too.

I think some of my older teens at the library might even like to read this.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a heartwarming contemporary fiction - almost like a coming of age but middle age style. The characters are loveable and the plot fun. Overall an excellent reading experience.

*Thank you Netgalley and WaterBrook Multnomah for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!*
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 5 May 2023

4.4 (rounded down to 4) out of 5 stars

Beautifully moving. ‘An American Immigrant’ shares a few personal experiences and tidbits with added fictional storytelling to capture Melanie Carvajal’s story of living in the inbetween.

What Johanna Rojas Vann does so amazingly is depict the life of children of immigrants. Like Melanie, I always felt too Mexican for America yet too American for Mexico. I went so long without knowing my parents’ full story, and I also resented some part of my life for *being* stuck in that inbetween and for not feeling confident in my culture like other Mexican-Americans were.
Like Melanie, I had grieved a part of myself whenever I *did* finally find my roots again and started to find myself in this middle ground a lot of first and second generation people find themselves in. I grieved all the time I lost resenting and wishing I was either Mexican or American, not Mexican-American with the - in between. I think the story of watching Melanie get to this point was also wonderfully painted too, including descriptions of Columbia and Colombian food and music. Any Hispanic and/or Latine person knows how important food and music are for our culture too, so this extra touch about Melanie’s experiences and connections with this in Columbia was also close to home.

The characters were lovable in of themselves too, each one important to Melanie’s discovery of her home and culture. There were a few times where Melanie’s old mindset of Columbia (and thus her actions to her mother and about Columbia) grew a bit irritating. She changed with the reading of the journals, but I think those bitter actions are also something many first and second generation kids experience at least once if they never found solid footing in where they stand with themselves and their culture.
The writing fell a little short in some areas too, but overall the book was an enjoyable read. Around the middle and the end, I found myself relating to Melanie again and wanting to read more of the journals to find out what happened next.

‘An American Immigrant’ grants a look into the life of those children born in between two spaces. Johanna Rojas Vann does an *amazing* job in incorporating personal pieces to make this book come to life more and make it all the more bingable. I loved feeling seen with a novel like this and feeling that acceptance as a fellow daughter stuck in that middle space. I highly recommend this book for others who find themselves neither one side nor the other of their heritage, and discover the sense of belonging to both alongside Melanie Carvajal.

I absolutely loved this book. Melanie is a Colombian American journalist who seemingly refuses to connect with the Colombian part of her heritage. Growing up she struggled a lot with being different than others her age and she seems to focus a lot on what they didn't have or couldn't afford which is why she works really hard to build a career for herself. A career in which she is struggling. In a last attempt to salvage her future as journalist she accepts an assignment in Colombia.

Her mother convinces her to visit her abuela for a few days first to which Melanie reluctantly agrees. She soon learns that the Americanized vision she has of her home country needs some serious adjusting. When she finds her mother's journal Melania starts to realize that she has judged her mother unfairly and starts learning what it means to be Colombian.

She starts (re)connecting with her roots and her family, finding a part of herself that was missing. But soon Melania will be forced to make a choice that will change her future.

Melanie's judgmental attitude towards her mother was a little frustrating at times, but the author really gives us a good look inside Melanie's head so we can understand how and why Melanie acts that way. Apart from Melanie's story which is focused on (re)connecting with your roots, we also follow her mother's story and the struggles she faced as a first generation immigrant.

AN AMERICAN IMMIGRANT by JOHANNA ROJAS VANN is a novel based on true stories about three generations of Cuban women, two of whom spent a large part of their lives in America.
Melanie Carvajal is about to be fired from her position as a journalist in Miami when she takes a job to write about drugs and corruption in Cuba. She has never been to Cuba before, and the time she spends with her mother and uncle at her grandmother’s house,celebrating the old lady’s ninetieth birthday changes her opinion of the country and makes her appreciate her mother and her Cuban culture more than she ever has before. As she says, “Something changes in us when we know the road someone has walked, “ “If anything this culture makes my life richer,” and “sometimes its difficult to see the world from someone else’s point of view. But if we ever get the chance to catch even a glimpse from their shoes, it can change not just how we see them but how we see the world.” She finds what is missing from her writing - it is her very self which she has been replacing with other people’s thoughts…..
It is a story about sacrifice, love, true joy, family and living life to the full in spite of one’s circumstances.
I really enjoyed An American Immigrant for the great characters and the depth in their stories. Congratulations to the author on a most successful debut novel!
I was given a free copy of the book by WaterBrook & Multnomah.. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

I’m not sure if this book is considered YA but as I read I feel that it would best fit that genre. I enjoyed the family saga, the love, friendships and the refreshing look at Columbia. It is a book that many readers can connect with meaning exploring your own family’s history and culture and the sacrifices that were made for a better life.

Vann has created a beautiful story with a great cover and title. I was invested right away in the main character and the book was well written. No problems getting through it! Four stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved and related to this book so much. Like Melanie’s mother, my mother immigrated from Cali, Colombia to New York around the same time. Although my mother’s journey to the United States differs greatly from that of Melanie’ s mother, there were tons of similarities. I am so excited to share this story with others, especially my mother.

I loved this story for more than just its relatability. The writing was remarkable and the poems were beautiful. I was as interested in Melanie’s story as her mother’s story. Their stories give readers hope, or at least that’s how I felt after finishing this book. Therefore, I hope that this book gains the popularity and accolades that it deserves.

Maybe I’m biased because I see myself in Melanie, but I strongly believe this book is for anyone and everyone. I’m so pleased to see an increase in the publishing of immigrant experiences. I thank this author for writing this inspirational, touching story.

I loved the use of real-life events in creating this story, it worked well overall. Johanna Rojas Vann has a great concept for this book and I enjoyed how good the story was. It was great to see the author's culture in this book and I enjoyed the main character. It did everything that I was looking for and am excited to read more from Johanna Rojas Vann.

"How am I supposed to know? I’m not even sure why I’m so surprised, what with the madness he brings upon our home every weekend. I guess it was time to take things to the next level. He must have been getting bored with the usual music blaring and him yelling like a maniac to wake everybody up.” Anita paused and looked up, trying to keep her eyes from watering."