Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses depictions of genocide, war, displacement, miscarriage, infant death, racism, xenophobia, depression, and other mental health conditions.

The book begins with a prologue explaining the author’s motivation for writing the book and outlining her personal history as a refugee. Yang was born and spent the first six years of her life in Ban Vinai Refugee Camp in Thailand. From birth, she knew that the camp was not her true home and that the adults around her were traumatized by war. After coming to the United States, Yang was put into a class with other immigrant children, whose stories she treasured. After the publication of her first book, Yang met with immigrant communities across the country and heard more stories. Somewhere in the Unknown World is her effort to collect and preserve the stories of immigrants from Minnesota, Yang’s home state, which is home to more refugees per capita than any other American state.

The first chapter tells the story of Irene (formerly Irina), whose Jewish family fled Minsk, Belarus in 1989.

During Christmas of 1988, Irina treasures the bananas her father receives as a Christmas bonus, which her family eats on New Year’s Eve.