Various authors have come ahead to express tales of agony and the transformation of migrants. No, migrants don’t arrive in boats with broken oars to new places. They arrive like everyone, with dreams and ambitions to fulfill.

Migrant literature is a growing space wherein a plethora of works are focused on migration. Here are five must-read books of this category:

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie

It is the reworking of Sophocles’ Antigone. Shamsie juxtaposes national identity, citizenship, jihad, and politics with the theme of migration. Her engaging prose brings the fantasy elements to the eyes.

The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh

In Ghosh’s novel, characters undergo radical changes. It speaks about the vacuum between the self and other, past and the present.

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

Lahiri intersperses two brothers and a woman in a tale of migration and long gone past. This touching account is known for its depiction of migrants.

The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

Follow the trail and lives of the picture brides from Japan to San Francisco. Helping white women during the day and mastering the new language by the night. The book expresses the American dream in all its intricacies.

What is the What by Dave Eggers

Trace the journey of the Lost Boys from Sudan to America. They have a heart full of dreams and a mind that yearns for freedom. But along with that, comes a path full of challenges too.

Inside out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Lai showcases the voices of Vietnam in her novel. The girl protagonist has to pick up the cold stare of her neighbors and dilute into the new culture. Moving between Saigon and Alabama, it is a poignant verse novel that strikes the readers with emotions.

The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez

Henriquez presents Latino migration in vivid prose. Maribel and Toro fall in love with each other. They also have to handle the new life in front of them in a new nation.

Have you read any of these?