Comparing the style of work we have seen previously throughout this course, I believe the Q&A essay format to be a powerful tool in communicating facts with historically accurate detail while also providing an emotional, human take on the realities faced by children going through the immigration process.

While the Essay as a format lacks a pre-defined structure the choice to incorporate Q&A allows the reader to place themselves within the process and understand the suffering that these children face. Further it allows for the author to incorporate her own experiences into the essay.

The ability for the author to interject with her own experiences and thoughts is often used to add comedic relief, breaking up the often sad, and tragic stories of the children she meets. This is further used as a contrast to the these stories, further eliciting an emotional response from the reader.

The flow of the Q&A allows the author to jump around in both time and place, piecing the story together from multiple perspectives while maintaining a logic flow for the reader.

Together these aspects of Luiselli’s take on the essay create a powerful piece that effectively delivers her message to the reader.