The author and poet Souvankham Thammavongsa was born in a refugee camp in Thailand to Laotian parents, and the family soon moved to Toronto to start life afresh. These experiences inform her debut story collection, which traces the complicated struggles of 14 Laotian immigrants and those around them. One person picks worms at a hog farm; another learns English from daytime soap operas. The stories are often bleak and filled with exploitation and crushed dreams—but they also sparkle with illicit romances and quick surges of joy.
Buy Now: How to Pronounce Knife on Bookshop | Amazon
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- These Charts Show COVID-19 Is Still the Pandemic of the Unvaccinated
- Reddit Allows Hate Speech to Flourish in Its Global Forums, Moderators Say
- What It Takes to Get Support for a Black Boy With Special Needs
- Shonda Rhimes Already Knows What You're Going to Watch Next
- How Harry Reid Paved the Way for Democrats to Kill the Filibuster
- President Biden's Speech in Atlanta Was Designed to Appeal to Black Voters—But Not Everything About It Succeeded
- China Is Finding Fewer Reliable Sources of Coal. That Could Be Bad News for the Climate
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
