Las Crosses 

“A story of opportunity, bravery and self-invention that’s as suspenseful and inspiring as it is quintessentially American.” 

“What makes this remarkable true story work”is that Apple An uses her interior voice to show the readers her new world of Las Cruces, New Mexico in 1989 from the perspective of her life and experiences in China. It is an enjoyable and essential read on cultural contrast from that historical era." 

“las Crosses will inspire you with it's story of resilience, hope and joyful curiosity, even in the face of uncertainty and difficulty. Apple An shares with honesty and humor, what it's like to re-settle in a new country and how the kindness and love from strangers helps ease loneliness, heartache and challenge. Uplifting! 

“In this engrossing and well-written memoir, Apple An comes from China to the US to pursue her education and to leave the repressive country of her birth. There is a subtle humor in her description of aspects of American culture that are new or puzzling to her. Her dual view illuminates many things about both cultures that someone without this perspective would not see or understand. She faces many challenges and meets them with a spirit of exploration and adventure. We see her growth in maturity and understanding during this story of the first eight months in her adopted country.” 

“Apple An poignantly speaks of the struggles and joys of Chinese emigration with a singular voice. In a novella-length memoir about her first eight months in the United States, An explores the complex nature of identity, displacement, and belonging in an unfamiliar land. Her writing style is straightforward, yet powerfully depicts scenes, characters, and emotions. Even while she shows us what it’s like to be a foreigner in a foreign land, An’s words convey bits of comedy and offer glimpses of her time living through China’s Cultural Revolution. The writing’s humble approach reveals what it’s like to experience a strange place, attempting to make it home—las Crosses is undoubtedly a topical work for 2020s America. This is an important story.”