Many of us have memories of a childhood home. In the new book The Blue House I Loved, author Kao Kalia Yang explores that nostalgia while highlighting the experiences of an immigrant family.
"The blue house I loved was the house of my uncle and my auntie; their very first house in America," says Yang. "Its memories have continued to teach me how to be a person in the world, to remember and to love the things that make this country what it is, but also the things that make me who I am." Before moving to Minnesota, Yang lived in a refugee camp in Thailand. Upon arriving in St. Paul, sleeping on a mattress supported by milk crates was perceived as a luxury.
The illustrations are provided by Brooklyn-based architect Jen Shin, who brings both colorful illustrations and architectural sensibilities to the pages. Many images give the reader a look at the cross-sections that make up the house, or even a birds-eye view that could easily have been lifted from a designer's blueprint.
Although the book speaks to the immigrant experience, Yang notes that the theme of homes is a universal one. "It is about all of the houses that we've loved," says Yang. "All of the houses that have held us safe, that we return to in our dreams."
The Blue House I Loved is available through the University of Minnesota Press website and can be found or ordered through local booksellers.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
