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Makkai's Connection to the Story
- Rebecca Makkai read "The Third and Final Continent" when it first came out in The New Yorker at 21 years old.
- It resonated with her because her father immigrated to Boston, similar to the story's protagonist.
Universality of Immigrant Narratives
- Immigrant narratives share a common emotional core, despite differing details.
- This shared experience creates a sense of universality in stories like "The Third and Final Continent."
Lahiri's Success
- Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies, which included "The Third and Final Continent," won a Pulitzer Prize and sold over 15 million copies.
- This success was unusual for a debut story collection, especially in 1999 when Makkai was just out of college.