Funny, sad and brilliantly human, this timely original series follows five friends - lovable but sometimes infuriating - as they make a life for themselves in New York City. The tie that binds them? They are all immigrants, struggling to find their place in an increasingly hostile America.
Sadie, fresh from her small hometown in Ireland tries out for the elusive O1 visa - meaning she has three months to prove she is an 'alien of extraordinary ability.' She joins a collective called 'Nature Fans', whose members are also on a clock, all trying to figure out how to stay in the country. Together they alternately fight and work the system, growing close in the process.
Brother and sister Rodrigo and Erika are from a mixed status family and have wonderful and busy lives in NYC. Rodrigo, desperate not to go back to Mexico but sick of living in the shadows, gets politically active. Tam is smart, handsome and Haitian, when he finds out he's about to lose his legal status, he uses his charm to find a marriage to save him. Mazen, the loveliest Lyft driver you're likely to meet, awaits his asylum interview and tries to forget about his life back in Syria, only to discover that he needs to stay connected or his heart will break.
The stakes couldn't be higher - an adventure story, a love story, a story of borders and the people who cross them - can they stay in this country they call home?
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(Audible Original, 23 July 2019, 3 hours, audiobook, Audible Original Podcast from @audibleuk, free with membership)
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I thought this podcast was hilarious though there is a darker tone, especially in the last couple of episodes when Rodrigo, which is undocumented is arrested for drinking in the street and faces the real possibility of being deported. The five immigrants who form the central characters in the podcasts are great characters and are all very different. Stories about immigrants tend to imply that stories are similar. This podcasts shows that immigrants may have the same, ultimate goal but they have their own, unique story. I enjoyed the fact Sadie, an Irish immigrant features here. Immigrant stories tend to focus on people from ethnic minorities so I enjoyed Sadie's story. This is well worth a listen.