Amazon.in:Customer reviews: Asylum Denied: A Refugee’s Struggle for Safety in America

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Babit

A surprisingly good book for a law school class

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 20 April 2010

I read this book for my Immigration Law class at school, and to my surprise, I really enjoyed the book. Before I read the book, I was afraid that it would be a boring book about the technicalities of an individual's application for asylum, the process, and the outcome. Although that may be one accurate summary of Asylum Denied, the book actually has more substance and story to go along with the bare asylum application process than I expected. I really liked how the book began with vivid descriptions of Jeff's ordeal in a water cell. It was disturbing and confusing because the reader does not yet know why he's there at this point, but it is the perfect opening to the book that hooks in skeptical readers like me. I forgot that I was reading a book for a law school class. Instead, I was just reading a really good book because I wanted to.

The book did not disappoint me after the initial opening scene. It continued to tell the life story of Jeff, which I found interesting and gripping, giving me a sense of who Jeff is and how he would later end up in a situation where he needed to apply for asylum in the US. Notwithstanding the title, this book is really about the whole life of Jeff, not just his application, and subsequent denial, of asylum. I was supposed to read this book with immigration law in my mind, but I could not help but be engrossed in the story and hurried through the pages describing the substantive law and the asylum process, slowing down only when the pages turned back to the story. I did however pay attention to the retelling of the oral arguments in the 4th circuit, only because I found the judges so obtuse that I was infuriated. How could they not understand that it was his state of mind before he left for Kenya that matters and not whether he was actually tortured again when he returned to Kenya that matters?

I understand that the book was written by Jeff and his lawyer, thus, it would only be natural that readers would sympathize with their story more than they would with the typical asylum applicants. However, the book did do a good job illustrating vividly what a lengthy process application for asylum is, what it entails, the emotions that the people involved can suffer, and what could be at stake for every asylum applicant. This was a really good book to see the law in a real life situation.

Although I read this book for a class, I would definitely recommend it to others as a pleasure read. Although there are parts of the book that are a little dense (the parts describing the law and asylum process), they are not hard to get through as they are integral to understanding the hardships that Jeff had to go through. Jeff's story is definitely interesting enough to keep you reading until the end.

3 people found this helpful

hsanchez

A good read for any course!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 3 December 2012

Verified Purchase

Asylum Denied was the incredible story of one man's journey to America through the U.S. Immigration System. It begins with David Ngaruri Kenney's struggles in his hometown of Kenya, Africa as a little boy and leads us into his life as a young man. After leading a protest in Kenya, he is imprisoned and tortured and eventually released. After his release he finds he cannot live in peace as government officials watch his every move, threatening to do away with him if he causes any more trouble. One day Ngaruri Kenney meets some individuals from the U.S. Peace Corps who ultimately change his life forever. Finally, he has the chance to escape Kenya and make a better life for himself and his family. This book provides incredible accounts of David Ngaruri Kenny's struggles with the U.S. Immigration courts while at the same time reveals his determination not to let anything stop him from making a better life for himself. He is determined to finish college and his experiences with the Kenyan justice system as well as the U.S. Immigration system become the driving force which lead him to pursue a Law Degree. An extremely intelligent and resourceful man, Kenney will not let anything get in his way. The book takes us through his journey as he struggles to obtain a Visa which will allow him to help his family that he left in Kenya. I give this book 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone interested in Global Studies, Justice Studies, Law, Immigration, or simply for pure reading enjoyment.

ASU

Makes You Appreciate All You Have

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 17 December 2012

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This book was a requirement for a undergraduate class I was enrolled in at ASU. And to be honest I thought it was going to be just another class text that I would have to suffer through. However, the deeper I got into it, the less skeptical I became and by the end of the book I was enriched with feelings of fulfillment. As you are taken along the treacherous journey of David Ngaruri Kenney, that begins with the horrors of escaping torture and death. You are painted a gruesome picture of what it is like to be an immigrant navigating through the United States immigration system. I became more and more entrapped in Davids story as I learned of his constant struggles, moments of defeat and yet his refusal to give up during his efforts to gain asylum into the United States. Not only has his perseverance inspired me to be a stronger, more driven individual, but it has also aloud me to reflect and truly appreciate how privileged I am to live in country that many others will risk their lives in order to call home. I would not hesitate to refer this book to anyone who is interested in law, justice, global politics, stories of struggle and perseverance or anyone looking for a story that will touch their hearts.

samantha cortez

Great Read!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 17 October 2019

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I had to buy this book for an immigration class and it's such a good read I look forward to reading it! The authors are the actual people involved with the case which is the attorney and the asylee. The laws are explained in a way that is easy to understand for the reader.

Ellen Polsky

Understanding the struggles of refugees and asylees

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 14 September 2019

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This was an honest look at how hard it is to get political asylum in the U.S., even when returning to your home country will put you in extreme danger.

Lisa Williams

Excellent fir those who don't understand immigration

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 8 September 2013

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This is a book I brought strictly on reviews and it was worth every penny! It I'd a great eye opener fir those who have little knowledge on the hardships of immigration and even the corruption that causes many frustrations for immigrants trying to do thins the right way through the system. Additionally, the story has some funny times, sad times, and heartfelt times throughout the book. It is a must read for any student, adult, or teen seeking to understand immigration process, visa applications, and who represent the immigrant s.

Alain Ades, M. D.

Poor work.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 26 April 2016

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A book about a Kenyan man's struggles to gain asylum in the US. Written by his lawyer, this is a text devoid of clarity. He initially came on a student visa, to play basketball. That failed. He then applied for asylum, which was correctly denied. Then, having fallen in love and gotten married, came back on an immigrant visa. He was never more than an economic migrant.

This work is an exposition of how our immigration laws can be tweaked by a tall Kenyan with free legal representation.

Judey16

Inspiring

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 23 August 2016

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Good read for all law students who are interested in immigration. Also great recommendations for improving our judicial cases to really help asylum cases.

Kristen

I absolutely loved it!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 5 June 2015

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This book was captivating. It was extremely informative about the asylum process through which refugees must go, while also keeping readers entertained with the interesting narrative of the story. I absolutely loved it!

jedispongee

great book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 25 August 2014

Verified Purchase

For those who are interested in Asylum Law, Immigration Law, and working as a Foreign Service Officer, read this book. I hope you will remember it well and be patient and compassionate with everyone you work with.

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