About the Book
A provocative novel that challenges many of the common misconceptions about today's young immigrants. The story, rich in satire, evolves around the life of Carlos Rodriguez, a hopeful expatriate who sits down to write his memoirs hoping to find what he has been missing - a place in the world where he can feel at home. The book is told in first-person view and highlights the events that propelled him to immigrate to the United States, where he ended up overstaying the time allowed on his tourist visa. Join him in his exciting adventure as he confides in you, sharing his most precious memories about love, family, culture, religion, politics, education, and of course, immigration.
About the Author :
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Alex A. Alvarez left his country after witnessing multiple revolts, a major economic disaster and two military uprisings. With this, his first publication, he hopes to combine the realities that highlight the lives of many of today's young migrants."By merging my personal experiences with those of the many migrants I have met throughout my own journey of adaptation, I hope to shed some light on the shadow cast by the nations that divide us, because no matter where we're from, we're all citizens of the world."
Review :
"A Thought Provoking, Eye-opening Tale that is Universal" - Horn Publishing
"Should Be Mandatory Reading" - Readers Favorite
"An Inspirational Journey" - Teens Read Too
"A Fine Story" - Midwest Book Review
"Provocative... Captivating"
Representing an auspicious start for Venezuelan author, Alex Alvarez, Chronicles of a Nomad: Memoirs of an Immigrant, is a provocative novel based on the experiences of the author-and other migrants he encountered-during his three-decade-long odyssey from Caracas to Denver, from Denver to Athens, and from Athens and beyond. It is also a journey of self-discovery exploring topics like love and marriage, family, education, religion, politics, bureaucracy, culture, immigration, and job hunting, ending with an unanswered quo vadis at the end.
The book's captivating narration flows like a diary and is interwoven with numerous quotations from famous people. It reflects honesty; keen observations; warm feelings for the underprivileged; dedication to the fight for justice; an awareness of the positive and negative aspects of Venezuela, the United States, and Greece; and the author's fine sense of humor. Even though, in his words, "Latinos are not exactly the icing on the cake" in America, Alvarez (through his protagonist) nevertheless confesses his love for his "dear United States" after he left.
Suitable for teenagers and adults alike, this title is highly recommended for ethnic studies programs.
Vladimir F. Wertsman (New York Public Library - Multicultural Review Magazine, Vol 18 #2, Summer 2009)
"Reminded me of Oscar Wilde"
Chronicles of a Nomad: Memoirs of an Immigrant, helped me witness the immigrant experience through the eyes of an intrepid young man.
Alex Alvarez is truly a gifted writer and world deserves a whole lot from him. His style is refreshing, powerful, and full of humour and wit. He's a clever thinker who makes original observations about culture, education, politics, and life in general. And he's quite a comedian too! A sharp-minded individual and skilful storyteller indeed.
I particularly loved his characters. Carlos, the narrator, is memorable in every sense (like Tom Sawyer). His school days are wonderful and brought back long-forgotten memories from my own youth, and his recollection of his airport incident with his hilarious mother was brilliant, as was the way she talked about "hypocrites" at the dinner table. So funny!
The details were such that at times I felt as if we had grown up similarly. Yet, I was a shy country boy from Arcadia, a small poor town in Greece, and I emigrated to Chicago in the early 60s. He was an outspoken city boy from bustling Caracas and emigrated to Denver in the late 90s. Despite this, the resemblance in our experiences was uncanny.
His days in Denver were most touching to me, and the way he describes the Greek winter, the Athens cafés, and above all, YAYA and her "avalanche of requests", were delightful. A keen observer of social behaviour, Alvarez was again right on the money when he described us Greeks, and our knowledge of geography (it was my favourite subject in fifth grade).
All chapters start with insightful quotes by illustrious personalities, but those written by Alvarez himself were the most creative. He reminded me of Oscar Wilde.
Nicholas D. Kokonis, Ph.D. (Author of Out of Arcadia)
