Books for my diaspora heart
Books that illustrate some aspect of the immigrant experience - in fantasy, or in the real world; in childhood, or in old age; in history, or in the modern day. (work in progress - recs welcome!)
created by ayzrules
last updated June, 2026
Comments
What a cool list!!! Exit West by Mohsin Hamid immediately came to mind. It's a magical realism novel that uses magical, suddenly-appearing doors as a way to illustrate migration. Such an intriguing concept. Some other potential suggestions 🥰: -On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong -The Kingdom of This World by Alejo Carpentier -The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen -The Surrendered by Chang-Rae Lee -Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo -Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys -A Tempest by Aimé Césaire -Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (RIP 😔🫶) -The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid -Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
Sorry for the overload 🤣 I started going through my finished books and kept finding more haha. Great list!!! Edit: I love to see The Best We Could Do on here 🥹 It's so underrated
Oh oh oh i love this!! At the top of my head Gilded Wolves would work here! Maybe Six of Crows too?
ayzrulesOP
ohh i've not read either but i'll add em in!!! gilded wolves sounds so cool!
Seconding 🙌
i love this list soooo much ayz 🥺
for the portuguese diaspora, i’d recommend above the salt by katherine vaz (or any of her other works, namely her short story collection called ‘fado and other stories’ ). she was the first portuguese-american to have her work put in library of congress 🥹
If I may: Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga is a beautiful MG novel in verse.
ayzrulesOP
omg im tearing up just reading the description, thank you for the rec!
Couple of recommendations! What a cool list: -We Are Not Free by Traci Chee -Shanghai Girls by Lisa See -A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
(nina’s other books all touch on this too hehehe) (no pressure tho)
Such a cool list 💓
