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_askthebookbug 's review for:
How to Pronounce Knife: Stories
by Souvankham Thammavongsa, Souvankham Thammavongsa
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How to Pronounce Knife turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Written by Souvankham Thammavongsa, this book of short stories carries a certain quality of profundity in them. Considering this was the first time I had the chance to read about Lao people, I was intruiged by the characters. Although the stories were barely few pages in length, making it easier for us to witness the cultural aspect of the characters. There's something deeply moving about these stories, making their heartbreaks seem like your own. Souvankham herself was born in a Laos refugee camp and it's clear how this has enabled her to add a touch of intimacy to her stories. I think books written out of experience have more chances of touching the readers and perhaps this was why I loved How to Pronounce Knife.
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Each story focuses on Laotian immigrants living in the States, trying to navigate through life or at times just to be accepted. There are fourteen stories in total, the very first one carrying the title of the book, which also happened to be one of my favourite. The stories are placed in an order that appears thoughtful, one merging into the other almost seamlessly. Be it the girl who is taught by her father to pronounce knife as kahneyff and is humiliated in class, or the seventy year old woman's romantic relationship with her thirty year old neighbour, mother and daughter duo harvesting worms before dawn or a housewife who's in love with Randy Travis; each of these stories are narrated simply as if just stating the obvious. While most of the stories were melancholic in nature, few of them carried an underlying sense of humour. The socio-cultural context of the immigrants was not lost on me. It's abundantly clear how many immigrants are forced into slavery in the form of a job, being paid next to nothing for the hours they put in. Adding to their burden is the helplessness in not being able to assist their children in every day homework or just to be present.
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Few of my favourites were - 'How to pronounce knife', 'Randy Travis', 'Picking worms' and 'A far distant thing'. I couldn't help but feel how all of the stories were too short, a distinct sign of this book's success. Most of the stories were narrated by children, their confusion in witnessing a new culture fairly evident. The struggles of living with two identities, traditions and cultural differences often leaving them and their families bewildered and restless. Souvankham has a knack for addressing problems with a sense of humour, at times evoking compassion and most often putting forth the stories just as they are. There's no sugar coating or sweet talking. I definitely recommend this to the ones who enjoy a thought-provoking read. How to Pronounce Knife is about the many families who are in search of a home by comprising and sacrificing their needs, finding satisfaction in doing all the poorly paid jobs. This book is at times witty but also has the ability to break hearts.
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Rating : 4.8/5.
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How to Pronounce Knife turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Written by Souvankham Thammavongsa, this book of short stories carries a certain quality of profundity in them. Considering this was the first time I had the chance to read about Lao people, I was intruiged by the characters. Although the stories were barely few pages in length, making it easier for us to witness the cultural aspect of the characters. There's something deeply moving about these stories, making their heartbreaks seem like your own. Souvankham herself was born in a Laos refugee camp and it's clear how this has enabled her to add a touch of intimacy to her stories. I think books written out of experience have more chances of touching the readers and perhaps this was why I loved How to Pronounce Knife.
•
Each story focuses on Laotian immigrants living in the States, trying to navigate through life or at times just to be accepted. There are fourteen stories in total, the very first one carrying the title of the book, which also happened to be one of my favourite. The stories are placed in an order that appears thoughtful, one merging into the other almost seamlessly. Be it the girl who is taught by her father to pronounce knife as kahneyff and is humiliated in class, or the seventy year old woman's romantic relationship with her thirty year old neighbour, mother and daughter duo harvesting worms before dawn or a housewife who's in love with Randy Travis; each of these stories are narrated simply as if just stating the obvious. While most of the stories were melancholic in nature, few of them carried an underlying sense of humour. The socio-cultural context of the immigrants was not lost on me. It's abundantly clear how many immigrants are forced into slavery in the form of a job, being paid next to nothing for the hours they put in. Adding to their burden is the helplessness in not being able to assist their children in every day homework or just to be present.
•
Few of my favourites were - 'How to pronounce knife', 'Randy Travis', 'Picking worms' and 'A far distant thing'. I couldn't help but feel how all of the stories were too short, a distinct sign of this book's success. Most of the stories were narrated by children, their confusion in witnessing a new culture fairly evident. The struggles of living with two identities, traditions and cultural differences often leaving them and their families bewildered and restless. Souvankham has a knack for addressing problems with a sense of humour, at times evoking compassion and most often putting forth the stories just as they are. There's no sugar coating or sweet talking. I definitely recommend this to the ones who enjoy a thought-provoking read. How to Pronounce Knife is about the many families who are in search of a home by comprising and sacrificing their needs, finding satisfaction in doing all the poorly paid jobs. This book is at times witty but also has the ability to break hearts.
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Rating : 4.8/5.