Book Review: We Are Eagles: Inspiring Stories Of Immigrant Women Who Took Bold Steps In Life Through Literacy.
We Are Eagles: Inspiring Stories Of Immigrant Women Who Took Bold Steps In Life Through Literacy. Anna Marie Kukec Tomczyk, Fig Factor Media Publishing, April 7, 2021, eBook and Paperback, 272 pages.
Reviewed by Kelly Fumiko Weiss.
We are Eagles is a collection of true stories written by Anna Marie Kukec Tomczyk that chronicles the impact the Dominican Literacy Center in Aurora, Illinois, made on the lives of five immigrant women. The book also tells the story of the Dominican Literacy Center’s founding and expansion. Tomczyk structures her book into four parts: Life in the Nest, Leaving the Nest, Choosing to Fly, and Soaring Above the Clouds. Each part delves into the women’s lives before they discovered the Literacy Center, what prompted them to learn English, how they succeeded, and where they ended up. While each woman gets her due part, Maribel gets the most time and attention.
The book itself is very easy to read. But, as I was reading it, I wondered if that was intentional so that English Language Learners could easily pick it up to read and feel inspired. The stories of the women were all quite different, but each went through seemingly insurmountable struggles to get to a place where they had comfortable and safe lives in the US. And while the pivotal moment for many of them was learning English, one of the signs of success for each woman was released from the fear of deportation and a journey toward citizenship.
Other common themes throughout the book are the small, daily tasks that learning English allowed the women to do—from shopping to ordering food to talking with their children to learning how to drive—which afforded them a sense of freedom that most of us take for granted. Homeownership was also something each woman strived for. Many of the women said that the Center was helpful because of its focus on one-on-one instruction instead of the intimidating nature of a classroom. In fact, the local Waubonsee Community College popped up quite a bit in this book, in some points almost acting like the villain, a place where women tried to go but were laughed out of, and later acting as a launching point, where some of the women returned to in order to learn more and advance their education and careers.
The true heart of this book lies with female determination: The determination of the sisters to found the Dominican Literacy Center. The determination of each woman to escape the trappings of their lives and forge new ones. And how that determination led to the determination of the women’s children to succeed and go to college. And while there are some gripping stories in here that range from domestic violence to stalking to poverty to the fear of deportation, what sticks with you the most are the stories of triumph over adversity—of starting one’s own restaurant and running a marathon, learning how to drive, advancing one’s career and education. These stories go hand-in-hand with the generosity of others. Peppered throughout this book are stories of true giving—of time, money, resources, food, a winter coat, or a safe place to learn.
Readers will leave this book grateful that places like the Dominican Literacy Center exist in the world and be in awe of what so many have had to endure for the basic securities that most of us are afforded simply by being born here. It’s a great tribute to the Center and its legacy, and you can tell We Are Eagles was written with love.