This book was a great story of taking risks and fighting to realize the American dream. The main character had a lot of adversity to get to where he was but he was able to work around it and fight to become a doctor and make a good life for himself and make his mother proud.

The world definitely needs more immigration memoirs like this one-where one is not JUST immigrating from a poor place to a rich place but rather between places considered liminal by the rich. There is a struggle for self-definition as well as a unique drive to be able to start over and over again. Josué writes wonderfully

Cholet Kelly Josue has provided a thoughtful, evocative view of the experiences of an immigrant to the United States. What so many of us take for granted is truly the most fervent desire for others. So much so that taking life altering chances to get here are seen as the only option. The journey to Miami via a small unsafe boat is seen as a worthwhile endeavor, and doing so will provide means to the possibility of a more stable life. The risk is worth the potential reward. Josue capitalized on the opportunity he took (in no means was it “given”) and is now a successful doctor of psychiatry. This story begins with the comforts of family life in the Bahamas, which soon becomes a struggle for survival in Haiti. Like many others, the path to security is seen as the boat trip and hidden life as an illegal. Josue strives to become educated, legal, and a blessing to both his adopted and native countries. All this while navigating the internal question of where he truly belongs. I highly recommend this soul searching, educational and inspiring tale of an epic journey undertaken by Cholet Kelly Josue.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC copy for review. #twelveunendingsummers #Netgalley

Twelve Unending Summers is an open and honest memoir about the author's childhood as he moves from the Bahamas, to Haiti and takes a boat across the sea to America. He tells of his struggles and the challenges he faced throughout the years as he learned about life in America and what his place was.

There is clearly so much more to tell and I'd love to hear more of his tale.
I feel we hear the stories of immigrants all too often on the news, but never really hear their personal story. It's important that we know the background to these tales so that we can empathise and understand.
I received an eARC of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://bound2books.co/2020/02/05/twelve-unending-summers-the-importance-of-immigrant-stories/

When I first got this book, the controversy that surrounds the novel American Dirt and immigrant stories had not yet come to the surface. Yet, the conflict surrounding Jeanine Cummins’ novel is not really anything new. Since before post-colonialist studies became stronger in academia, and since immigrant and marginalised voices started talking about their experiences there has always been a question of who is allowed to speak, and more specifically, what are they allowed to speak about?

I do not want to centre novels like American Dirt in discussions on immigration, however, they are part of a bigger picture, and a bigger problem. Until publishing companies are willing to give marginalised voices the platforms they deserve, then there really is no equality. The question of who is allowed to speak is also wrapped up in the question of whose voices get the most praise? Or who are the voices that are the most uplifted in media and publishing? I am a small blog in the grand scheme of things, but I will use this tiny platform to try to do just that, praise and raise awareness of marginalised stories.

With that all said, let’s dive deeper into Twelve Unending Summers. The memoir explores the multifaceted identity of Bahamian-born Haitian Cholet Kelly Josué who immigrated to the U.S. when he was a teenager. His immigration story is complex as he came to Florida with the help of human trafficking boats from Haiti. His mother went first and then later brought him to the U.S. His immigration story is also a story of community and resilience. It is also coupled with grief and anger at the system that made him illegal in the first place. There is love for Haiti and his childhood, and there is also real pain at seeing the poverty and corruption in the country of his childhood.

“I was both sad and relieved to leave Haiti and return to my comfortable life, the guilt almost suffocating as I stood in the long line of passengers waiting to board the American Airlines flight back to Miami.”

Throughout the memoir Josué seems to grapple with the push and pull of Haitian culture and his subsequent americanisation after he arrived in Florida. The extreme’s of this coming out in the Haitian practices and superstitions surrounding voodoo, and learning how to do things, the American way.

“One of the main reasons some people feel they have no other options than to take the illegal route is that they realize that the immigration system has been corrupted across multiple borders, rendering it a transnational form of corruption.”

Having been an immigrant myself, and being married to an immigrant has given me, for better or for worse, a deep understanding of the fears and hopes that immigration stories share. People in government offices hold your life in their hands and you are forced to give over your agency to someone else. That person will ultimately judge you worthy, a ‘good’ immigrant, or not. Immigration laws tear families apart and the real anxiety and worry about keeping families together can feel overwhelming sometimes. On top of that, immigration laws can change whenever governments feel like it, so the rules that got you into a country might not be the same when you ask to stay longer.

Josué’s memoir offers another voice to the immigrant experience, one that is extremely important for people to read in today’s current political climate. I urge people to listen to immigrant voices and their individuality. Look beyond lumping everyone in the same tarnished group and look for compassion and understanding. Josué’s life is extremely lucky. He was one of the immigrants that was able to become legal in America. To obtain degrees and become a fully functioning member of society as a doctor, yet his story is not the same for everyone.

What memoirs are you reading at the moment? As always, share the reading love.

Note: this novel was accessed through Netgalley for review purposes.

Although the author himself is really an impressive character and the story of his coming to America and becoming a citizen is indeed a story of sucess and persistance, I found the writing a bit confusing. It took me time to get through first few chapters and although I got caught up in it afterwards, I still feel like its missing someting.

Anyway, I reccomend it as a way to learn more about Haitian lifestyle and as a short insight in a immigrants way of life / story of a succes.

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for my honest review

Twelve Undending Summers is a raw and honest memoir about being an immigrant, ending up having several identities and not quite fit into any of them. It's also a book about hope, courage and doing what you got to do in order to survive.

I think this was fine, but the writing wasn't for me. The style was a bit spare/lacking, and the book felt like it didn't have a ton of momentum.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book to review.

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.

I received an arc of this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

It was interesting to read about the life of the author but throughout the whole book I could just feel something was missing.

I wasn't fully emersed in the story and found myself browsing past a few parts and I think it was due to how the story was structured and layered out to read.

It was different and eye opening, reading about Haitian life and traditions and what some have to face when it comes to trying to travel abroad. Also how Chloet was trying to discover himself, trying to find an insight into who he is through living in America with his Haitian descent and birth, but also his life, from first going to America and his movement towards college.

I went into the book thinking it would be directly on finding out who he is but by the end I felt it didn't answer the question.
It left me wondering and slightly disappointed but it could have just been me and how I interpreted it compared to what he was actually trying to say.

Dr. Josue is an especially earnest autobiographer, I really felt for him through all his travails and at this time in history it is so important that we listen to and learn about the experiences of undocumented illegals. As a bi-racial American born abroad, I can relate to Cholet's pleaful bid to find his true self. I am heartened by the fact that he has family with him in America, I hope they have all managed to get legalized somehow as well.

I do think this book would have been easier to read had some of the repetition been edited out. The timeline of Josue's having been born in the Bahamas, grown up in Haiti, and then become an adult in the US was made quite clear in the Prologue but was reiterated several times throughout, often as if it were new knowledge. I'm intrigued by his honesty and willingness to share details of his legal history, and will read more of his literary explorations into the lands of his life that he's written about so lovingly in Twelve Unending Summers and promises more of in future, but I hope he'll opt to share more detail about his work in neuropsychiatry, his philanthropy, friends and family and maybe get out of his head a little bit next time. I think that would make him an even better story teller.

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.