How to Pronounce Knife - Book Review

 


How To Pronounce Knife

Souvankham Thammavongso

4.5 stars


A wonderful collection of short stories from Souvankham Thammavongsa, that lend wisdom into the hearts of immigrants. A beautiful read with a poetic sway that will easily keep you reading and is hard to put down. A book that would be welcome on any reader’s shelf.

The chapters are short and it is hard to put down after only one ‘story’. Unique experiences, the feelings of being an outsider when you just want to be a part of this something ‘new’. Heartbreaking and mesmerizing, sad and joyful, this book is not to be missed.

It will teach you, slam you with the unfairness of it all and give you a perspective (or reminiscence) of what it is to foreign.

From the feelings of isolation, the desire to fit in and yet not lose your true self, to the interactions within a family are all covered in words that do not shy away from being real. The child's embarrassment of their parent's vocabulary, the learning of the weird (but wonderful) english words, the home cooking that your mama packs you for lunch which you hide from your new friends.

Sometimes deeply sad, sometimes sharing sex details not for the faint of heart, using ‘bad’ words without abandon, this book is for those who have experienced being a newcomer because it will validate  your feelings. But also equally for the non-immigrant to give a deep sense of the immigrant experience.

This book did not disappoint as a book and prize winner as many others have.

Share this book with a friend, they will thank you.



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