In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero and Michelle Burford Hardcover

You might know, Diane Guerrero from Orange is the New Black and/or Jane the Virgin. What you might not know is that she is the daughter of immigrants and when she was only 14 years old her parents detained and deported forever changing her and their lives.

The kindness of friends and family made it possible for her to finish up her education but not without struggles and the deep seeded loss that relates to not having your parents or brother around for moments, big and small.

Guerrero does an amazing job of chronicling her families struggles before and after the deportation. Her 1st hand experience with US immigration regulations gives an example of how the powerless are taken advantage of and impacted.

Imagine for one minute, that you are a young woman and you come home from school and your home is empty, your parents are nowhere to be found. They have been deported and despite your status as a US citizen, no one from the government  come to check on you, a minor child. You are scared and lost and have to rely on friends/family in order to survive.  You life has been irrevocably changed. -- This is Guerrero's life, her path.....

The reality of living in fear is what a millions of people, like Guerrero live though every single day.  I hope that this book provides empathy for those who have none to people in a similar plight. The majority of this book chronicles her life after the deportation of her parents but she also addresses her more joyous moments as having her dream as an actress fulfilled.

Guerrero is honest and the raw emotions spill out from her memoir as you turn the pages. She is strong, smart, resilient and a strong advocate for an issue that is tearing America apart.

I am not one to look up to celebrities or have an urge to meet one and I can say with sincerity that  Diane Guerrero is that celebrity for me. I would be honored to meet her.

I look up to her and that might be because she is a strong female voice for the Latino community and because I relate to her  (and not just because we share the same apellido) on so many levels.

Each tab marked on the photograph of her book is something I personally relate to,  understand and went through myself to a degree. I am the proud daughter of an immigrant, who became a US citizen a costly and arduous journey despite having been a resident since infancy.

This is a book I will be purchasing (I had checked it out from the library) and passing it along to friends and family.