In this collection of crónicas, essays, and experimental texts, Melanie Márquez Adams invites readers on a road trip with stops at the places throughout América that have shaped her identity and her writing, from the skyscrapers looming above the Río Guayas in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to the backyard of Dollywood in the smoky mountains of East Tennessee, from the dizzying cacophony of New York City to the undulating cornfields of Iowa as far as the eye can see. The author understands that, while some readers may expect harrowing border crossings and suffering at every turn, hers is a different type of immigrant story. With incisive social commentary and a dark sense of humor, she palpably conveys her struggles to find a sense of belonging between countries, languages, and cultures.

Melanie Márquez Adams is an Ecuadorian American writer. She holds an MFA in Spanish Creative Writing from the University of Iowa where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow. She is the author of the short story collection Mariposas Negrasand two essay collections, Querencia and El país de las maravillas. She is also the editor of the anthology Del Sur al Norte: Narrativa y Poesía de Autores Andinos, winner of a 2018 International Latino Book Award. Her fiction and nonfiction can be found in journals such as The Southern Review, Puerto del Sol, Laurel Review, Spanglish Voces, and Huellas Magazine. Melanie's latest book is Anfibias, a collection of domestic horror stories published by Mouthfeel Press.

Emily Hunsberger translates literature written in Spanish by women authors from all across the Americas, including the United States. Her translations have appeared in Latin American Literature Today, The Southern Review, PRISM International, The Common, and Southwest Review. From 2017 to 2022, Emily produced Tertulia, an independent podcast about Spanish-speaking culture in the United States. She has also published original poetry, reporting, criticism, and research in English and Spanish, with work appearing in Anfibias Literarias, Spanglish Voces, Bello Collective, Latino Book Review, and Estudios del Observatorio / Observatorio Studies. Emily comes to literary translation with a background in community-based work, international sustainable development, education, and immigrant rights, and she holds a B.A. in Spanish from Cornell University and an M.A. in Spanish from George Mason University. She lives with her family in Philadelphia

REVIEWS

"Wonderland is a quest to understand America through fresh experiences and a second language while searching for familiarity and seeking refuge in one's first language. Márquez Adams and Hunsberger take readers on a journey through the 'normal' rhythms of life to a deeper discovery of self by roaming between languages and cultures. An essential read for anyone intrigued by the complexities of identity and the immigrant experience in the United States." - Elle Charisse

"Wonderland: Crónicas of Belonging in America by Melanie Márquez Adams, beautifully translated by Emily Hunsberger, challenges the typical immigrant narrative. Rather than focusing on hardship, Márquez Adams tells us the story of an immigrant who completed an MFA while navigating identity and belonging in a new country. Through her personal crónicas, she explores the intersection of culture, language, and self-discovery, enriching the discussion about the Hispanic immigrant experience in the U.S. This memoir reveals that leaving one's homeland can be both aspirations and complexities, rather than just pain."- Joseph Avski

"The crónicas of Melanie Márquez Adams offer a portrait of the contemporary United States through the eyes of a longtime resident who has never abandoned her native Spanish as a means of creative expression. Intimate, honest, and discerning, this collection interrogates what it means to adopt as one's homeland a country that is and is not one's own." - Jeffrey Lawrence