"When U.S. troops occupy Germany, friends Jakob and Emmanuelle are saved from the terrible fate of so many in the camps. With the help of sponsors, they make their way to New York. In order not to be separated, they allow their friendship to blossom into love and marriage, and start a new life on the Lower East Side, working at grueling, poorly paid jobs. Decades later, through talent, faith, fortune, and relentless hard work, Jakob has achieved success...

"In 1908, sixteen-year-old Bridey runs away from her small town in Ireland with her sweetheart Thom. But Thom dies of ship fever, leaving Bridey alone and pregnant in a strange new world. The Latecomers spans a century of American life and reminds us that we can never truly leave the past behind"--From the publisher's web site.

Belinda knows how to follow the rules; as a housegirl, she has learned the right way to polish water glasses, to wash and fold a hundred handkerchiefs, and to keep a tight lid on memories of the village she left behind when she came to Kumasi. Mary is still learning the rules; the young housegirl-in-training is the little sister Belinda never had. Amma has had enough of the rules; a straight-A student at her exclusive London school, she has always...

When Jende Jonga journeys to New York City from Cameroon in 2004 on a visitors' visa in hopes of obtaining a green card, he's sure his life will only improve. After saving up enough money to bring over Jende's wife, Neni, and six-year-old son, the family moves into an apartment in Harlem. Then Jende hits the jackpot in 2007 when he lands a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards, a wealthy Lehman Brothers executive. But working for the Edwardses isn't...

Three children from other countries (Somalia, Guatemala, and Korea) struggle to adjust to their new home and school in the United States.