From Every End of This Earth: 13 Families and the New Lives They Made in America

New York Times bestselling author Steven V. Roberts follows the stories of thirteen immigrant families in From Every End of This Earth, a poignant and eye-opening look at immigration in America today. He captures the voices of those living the promise of a new land—and the difficulties of starting over among strangers whose suspicions increasingly outweigh their open-armed acceptance. As the political debate rages on, Roberts sheds light on the enormous contributions immigrants continue to make to the fabric and future of America. |

New York Times bestselling author Steven V. Roberts follows the stories of thirteen families in this poignant, eye-opening look at immigration in America today.

America is a nation of immigrants. But what does it mean to be an immigrant in the United States today? In some ways, the experience has never changed—all newcomers feel the pain of separation. In other ways, it has changed drastically—families maintain strong business ties to their home countries and speak daily with their relatives on cell phones.

Attitudes about the great melting pot have taken a sharp turn toward insularity in recent years. The 9/11 attacks and recent waves of undocumented workers seem to have eroded America's long-standing belief in the value of immigration. Yet the families in this book conclusively demonstrate that critics are wrong, and that in the age of Barack Obama, the son of an immigrant from Kenya, newcomers "from every end of this earth" continue to renew America's greatness, every day, with their courage and character.

Having shared his own family's story in My Fathers' Houses, distinguished journalist Steven V. Roberts now profiles immigrants from China and Afghanistan, Mexico and Sierra Leone, who have journeyed to our shores in pursuit of the same dream that propelled his own grandparents to leave Russia and Poland a century ago. He combines compelling interviews and meticulous research to produce an engaging, wonderfully clear, and accessible narrative that explores each family's original yet deeply resonant story.

As the political debate rages on, Roberts offers an essential and timely look at today's immigrant accounts, and sheds light on the enormous contributions these individuals continue to make to the fabric and future of America.

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“[A] warm and welcoming memoir.” - Library Journal

“Calls to mind a kinder, gentler time. . . . Brings back a time when children were able to entertain themselves, when imagination rather than television ruled, a time of rare and wonderful innocence. . . . With much the same sweet, self-deprecating tone of fellow journalist Tim Russert’s Big Russ and Me, Robert recalls growing up Jewish in New Jersey, in a community where everyone looked out for one another. . . . In this endearing book, treasured family stories are passed along from generation to generation, along with a strong sense of the American dream and all its attendant possibilities. . . . The greatest tribute a son can offer.” - New Orleans Times-Picayune

“When a memoir is penned by a familiar figure, it’s all the more interesting to walk through the door that’s been opened into childhood. . . . This is a warm and thoughtful book about family values and a valued family.” - Hartford Courant

“For his entire writing life, Steve Roberts has been inspired by the extraordinary heroism and exceptional wisdom of supposedly ordinary people, especially new arrivals to our shores. For Roberts, there are no ‘ordinary’ people, and FROM EVERY END OF THIS EARTH is testimony to his passion and his empathy and also to his admiration for those with the courage to journey to a new land. The phrase ‘immigration debate’ is deadening. Roberts brings to life the real immigration story through the lives of those who are its authors.” - E.J. Dionne, syndicated columnist and author of Why Americans Hate Politics

“Gripping, well-told human stories are the best antidote to policy debates muddled by prejudice and partisan politics. In these pages, Steve Roberts artfully tells the fascinating stories of 13 immigrant families and leaves us far better equipped to understand the choices facing the United States as it debates how to reform its broken immigration system. This book should be obligatory reading for anyone who wants to have an objective and well-informed opinions about immigrants in America. Or for anyone who simply wants to read a good book about real and inspiring human experiences.” - Moisés Naím, Editor in Chief, Foreign Policy magazine

“If you want to feel optimistic about the future of America, give Steve Roberts’ new book a read. He chronicles our national miracle of drawing together and assimilating diverse people who are drawn, as the title says, ‘from every end of this earth.’ Far from posing a threat, the new immigrants—with their hustle and drive and their yearning for success—are America’s secret weapon in the global economic competition.” - David Ignatius, syndicated columnist for The Washington Post

“[An] homage to the sacrifice generation and the children for which they make that sacrifice. . . . Roberts offers not only diversity of geography, but also diversity of experiences. . . . Roberts focuses on each family and tells its tale in a compassionate, engaging way.” - Washington Post

“Taking the boy out of Bayonne may be possible, but taking Bayonne out of the boy is not—at least, according to this warm and welcoming memoir by journalist Roberts, who hails from the New Jersey city. . . . As he makes clear in this memoir, his Bayonne beginnings greatly informed the man he is today. Recommended.” - Library Journal