Twelve Unending Summers

This is a brilliant book, a memoir from a Haitian immigrant. Cholet Kelly Josue writes with passion and Twelve Unending Summers is relatable for any 1st or 2nd generation immigrant struggling with finding themselves. A recommended read for lovers of Malala Yousafzai's novel(s) and memoirs in general.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free review copy of this book.

“I had begun to entertain in my mind’s eye the notion that maybe, just maybe, amid America and the Bahamas and Haiti, I might create a home where I could totally, truly belong.”

Josue was born in the Bahamas, raised in Haiti, and sent to join his mother in the United States as a teenager. His memoir explores his search for identity and belonging, while navigating the complex education and immigration systems in the United States.

It is an inspiring story of human spirit and the importance of education. I liked learning more about Haitian culture, and I think the scenes of his childhood in Haiti were my favorite to read about. But they were also tinged with the sadness of being send away and later realizing the depth of the problems facing the country he loved. I thought it was interesting that Josue described writing this book as the start of journey to delve deeper into his past and his origins, having not been back to the Bahamas or his father’s ancestral lands in Haiti since childhood. Stories like Josue’s about the immigrant experience provide a valuable lens for social issues, and a reminder that human compassion can go long way.

I enjoyed Kelly Josue’s memoir because I learned about Haitian culture and pieces of the country’s history. I also learned about the Bahamas from the short time Josue was living there. I think it’s an important book for everyone to read and learn about what immigrants go through in the U.S. You can also read it to learn about how the U.S. affected Haiti’s history as well as how strong the Haitian people are after being put through so many changes throughout their history.

A raw honest look at what it means to be an immigrant to live in a country that is not your true birth home adapting learning to live find a place for yourself establish a life.This is an important book a book that will teach you compassion for those who escape to our country and then their struggle begins,#netgalley #authoritypublishing.

An eye opening read . I did enjoy this book, it’s well written and honest and raw.
Thank you to NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review

I received this review copy by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley.

“Those who have been given great gifts, also carry heavy burdens.”

Twelve unending summers : Memoir of an immigrant child by Dr. Cholet Kelly Josue, MD is a soul-stirring memoir of the author which will make the readers feel all the emotions he underwent, as he grew up. The cultural and emotional instability a child undergoes when exposed to different lifestyles and geographic regions has been written down-straightly from his heart. In the prologue the author poses a question “where do I belong?” Born in Bahamas to a Haitian parents and lived a life as an American, this question haunts the author throughout the course of his life. This is a no simple question, we all need a ground to be anchored to and a place to be called ours. Without knowing one’s identity, history and background living a life is impossible, this what the author has tried to divulge in this book and has also succeeded extraordinarily. It’s not a book only immigrants could relate to, it's not a book only Haitians could relate to. Once the reader reads the first page of the book he/she will immediately get transformed to the world of Cholet. Every unique cultural traditions and superstitions followed by the Haitians and local anecdotes was so enticing and I personally I loved those parts very much. The community in which Cholet grew up in Haiti was so wonderful. In today’s world every one of us are driven by ambition and self-centredness but in Haitian community everyone lived harmoniously together supporting each other shoulder to shoulder.

Certain sequences such leaving behind his childhood friends in Haiti, passing away of his parents were extremely heart-wrenching and moving. And the childish essence that the book has to offer has been captured and penned down beautifully. Throughout the book he has insisted about the importance of education in one’s life, how it has the power to transform a person from being a cipher to an achiever. His hunger for knowledge and soccer was inspiring and strikingly appreciable. Even though the life at America had to offer more downs than ups, Cholet had faced them bravely with hope spread all across his soul. The optimistic character of the author has what made him endure the unendurable. The last two chapters of the book were fast moving and electrifying, irrespective of the knowledge the readers have about the final note.

The epilogue was my personal favorite, it had so much to offer. I loved each and every word of it. On the whole it was a easy read, the language was simple and engaging. I finished it in one sitting, so you can assimilate how good the book is. And it’s one of the deep and moving memoirs you ever come across.

I seriously recommend this book to everyone because I learned a lot via this and it inspired me to look deeper into my roots too.

PS : I don’t read many biographies or memoirs but I seriously loved it and it's worth the read.

Twelve Unending Summers: Memoir of an Immigrant Child by Cholet Kelly Josue is a book that hit just the right spots for me. In the prologue, he posed the questions “Where did I fully belong? Where could I call home?” As a fellow immigrant that also came to the US as a teenager, his story really resonated with me. While I do not come from a country as poverty stricken and in shambles as he speaks about Haiti being, I understand some of the confusion he felt of being torn between different cultures.

“Out of that catastrophe emerged a question of identity that had been simmering inside me for decades, after having spent all my adult life thinking like an American, after having been assimilated into the American melting pot. Or maybe not so assimilated after all.” No matter what country you are from, I hazard a guess that the majority of immigrants in the US has felt this way at some point. If you are looking for a read that will bring back those memories or want to learn about the struggles that immigrants face in the US, this is the right book for you.

I really enjoyed how he spoke about the importance of education, culture, and finding your place in the world. This is the first book I have read since setting my goal of intentionally seeking out authors from different cultures and I am looking forward to reading more from him on his blog Brain Science.

Bahamian, Haitian- American author Cholet Kelly Josue novel Twelve Unending Summers: Memoir of an Immigrant Child was a read that hit home for me. I am a child of Haitian immigrants and the risk they took to come to the United States for better opportunity and a second chance in life is truly something.

Josue tells us his story of his Haitian/Bahamian upbringing, the loose of his parents, his arrival to a new world at the age of sixteen and his prostitute to live that “American Dream”. Although I was born and raised in the US, 80% of what Josue experienced here I dealt with and so have so many others.

This moving story will have you bringing out the tissues and inform you the struggles of immigrants and their decedents. Thank you, Netgalley Authority Publishing, for this copy in exchange for an honest review 4 out of 5.

This book is a good reminder of what it is like to be an immigrant and to feel like an outsider. Josue uses descriptive writing and hot topics to hook the reader. This is a great summer read, and I highly recommend.

This was a wonderful beautiful tie account of being an immigrant and not knowing were you belong and trying to find your identity just beautiful made me cry. Could relate having a disability it's hard when all people see is the disability. 4 out of 5 hope it does well.

Let me say,
I was hooked on reading this book and could not put it down after the first few pages. The way Josué describes his emotions, anger, and feelings towards the white man and towards his own family really captivates his experience as a child of an immigrant. The dilemma of assimilation into the American white culture, and preserving his roots is one that many people can relate to. The encountering with the doctors who are insensitive and oblivious to their questions? Relatable, VALID. I personally enjoyed the way that Josué was able to captivate his conflict with his cultural identity, discrimination, and racism, as well as his descriptions of the Caribbean and Haiti. I think that this is a book anyone who is an immigrant, immigrant child, or even those who really to understand the immigrant experience should take a peek at the book.