The Story of Us by Catherine Hernandez: Book Review

The Story of Us is a story of sacrifice and family and a most unlikely friendship that develops along the way.

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for the ARC of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. While I did not receive renumeration for this book aside from the above, the publisher requests I use the following: #Paid #Ad #Sponsored.

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From The Publisher:

From the author of Canada Reads finalist Scarborough, a stunning new novel about the unbreakable bond of family and the magic that can happen when we meet in the middle

Like many Overseas Filipino Workers, Mary Grace Concepcion has lived a life of sacrifices. First, she left her husband, Ale, to be a caregiver in Hong Kong. Now, she has travelled even farther, to Canada, in the hopes of one day sponsoring Ale and having children of their own.

But when she arrives in Toronto, she must navigate a series of bewildering and careless employers and unruly children. Mary Grace seeks new employment as a Personal Support Worker and begins caring for Liz, an elderly patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, whose health is as fragile as her rundown bungalow beside the Rouge River in Scarborough. While Mary Grace’s time with her charge challenges her conservative beliefs, she soon becomes Liz’s biggest ally, and the friendship that grows between them will turn out to be just as legendary as Liz’s past.

Beautifully narrated by the all-seeing eye of Mary Grace’s newborn baby, The Story of Usis a novel about sisterhood, about blood and chosen family, and about how belonging can be found where we least expect it.

My Thoughts:

This was such an interesting and educational read. The story is told from the perspective of a newborn baby and recounts the story of his mother’s life from the Philippines to Hong Kong and later to Canada.

Mary Grace (MG) is the baby’s mother. MG is a married woman who wants to have a better life than what she currently has with her husband and extended family. She takes a job as a nanny in Hong Kong initially but learns that if she can get similar work in Canada and is employed there for two years that she can sponsor her husband to join her. After a short visit home before flying to Canada, she determines her husband will not be joining her.

MG works as a nanny for a couple who eventually take advantage of her. Later she finds employment caring for a woman named Liz who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the many challenges faced by MG in this new role (and learning of her pregnancy), she and Liz become wonderful companions.

While the viewpoint of the story being seen through the eyes of MG’s newborn baby was creative, it did not add anything to the story in my opinion but a bit of foreshadowing. The level of character development on the other hand is excellent and I learned a lot about the Filipino nanny program and the hardships faced by these women.

Liz identifies as queer and has been instrumental in building acceptance in her community. I loved this part of the book and the fact that a person with Alzheimer’s was still afforded this level of respect. I also appreciated the author writing in #OwnVoices for Liz’s character.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about immigrant experiences and/or characters identifying as part of the LGBTQIA2 community.

What I Liked:

• The bond that forms between MG and Liz
• The discussion on the lives of immigrant workers in Canada
• The level of care and respect when writing these characters