N4L 142: "Invincible Women" by Bilha Chesner Fish, M.D.

Nonfiction4Life

SUMMARY

Bilha Chesner Fish, M.D., an Israeli-American immigrant and distinguished radiologist, shares her new book, Invincible Women. Based on personal "Conversations with 21 Inspiring and Successful American Immigrants," Invincible Women is a collection of stories illustrating the grit, willpower, and conviction of women fighting to achieve the American dream. Dr. Fish manages to interview immigrant women of all stripes: artists, doctors, fashion designers, authors, lawyers, teachers, engineers, business executives, chefs, scientists, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and even an opera singer. Each tells her struggles and triumphs while taking risks and struggling to assimilate into a new country. All the while, the common thread among them is giving back.

Dr. Fish, a longtime advocate for community service and women’s empowerment, honors and celebrates these women through the careful reconstruction of her interviews. The book Invincible Women is especially critical and this moment in America's history when immigrants are often mistreated, misunderstood, and undervalued. The stories align with Dr. Fish's own commitment to stand up to hate, racism, and fear born of misinformation.

QUOTES FROM THE WOMEN

• "This country is huge; you can have millions of immigrants and still the country would be half empty, and still there will be space for everybody." ~Isabel Allende, Chilean-American New York Times best-selling author and advocate for the rights of women and girls
• "When I came here, I stayed with a friend of a friend that I had never met...But it was just us; we knew no one. We had no 'Vitamin P' as we say in Israel, meaning P for protection or help." ~Einav Gefen, Israeli-American chef and food services executive
• “In my mind, a successful immigrant is one who takes things from her culture that are useful and powerful and meaningful to her. But she also looks at the world that she is inhabiting and she uses what’s there.” ~Chitra Divakaruni, Indian-American author and women’s rights defender
• " I think this is tied to the business of the immigrant experience. I think it is so important that I bring something different to the American culture." ~Mi Jong Lee, Korean-American clothing designer and businesswoman
• “By voting, by acting, I feel like a true American immigrant.” ~Hung Liu, Chinese-American painter
• "America is the country that has always been proud to be a country of immigrants." ~Jacqueline Murekatete, Rwandan-American attorney and human rights leader

BUY Invincible Women: Conversations with 21 Inspiring and Successful American Immigrants

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