"Accidental Sisters follows the lives of five refugee women in Houston, Texas, an epicenter of refugee resettlement, as they make their way through a yearlong program for struggling single mother refugees overseen by Alia Altikrity, herself a former refugee from Iraq. Entirely grounded in the words of each of these women--Mina, also from Iraq; Mendy from Sudan; Sara and Zara from Syria; and Elikya from the Democratic Republic of Congo--this book recounts, with deep insight, the lives they lived in their mother countries and the way they were forced to flee with their children into the uncertainty of displacement in neighboring lands. And although it documents the safety and refuge the women eventually find in the new city to which they have been permanently resettled, it critiques the insistence of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program on rapid self-sufficiency and offers an alternative vision of the American Dream, one grounded in a sisterhood of mutual care for one another"--
Kimberly Meyer Reihenfolge der Bücher (Chronologisch)
On an illuminating pilgrimage, a mother and daughter embrace the desert's wisdom: carry only what you need, burn what can't be saved, and leave remnants as offerings. Kimberly Meyer, having given birth to her daughter Ellie during her senior year of college, finds her bohemian dreams overshadowed by the responsibilities of single motherhood. Both are haunted by the circumstances of Ellie's birth—Kimberly by a restless yearning for adventure, and Ellie by a fear of abandonment. In an effort to bond with Ellie, now a college student, and to rediscover herself, Kimberly embarks on a quest for meaning. They leave behind their ordinary life in Houston, Texas, dedicating a summer to retracing the steps of Felix Fabri, a medieval Dominican friar whose travels resonate with Kimberly. Their journey takes them to exotic destinations rich in mystery and spirituality—from Venice to the Mediterranean, Greece, partitioned Cyprus, Israel, the Sinai Desert with Bedouin guides, the Palestinian territories, and finally to Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt. In spare, gorgeous prose, this memoir captures Kimberly and Ellie's transformative journey and the deep bond they forge. It reflects on simplicity, the distractions of life, and the search for a place that feels like home, appealing to anyone who has contemplated the road not taken or faced the void of change and loss.