• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 February #2
  *Starred Review* O. Henry Prize winner Thammavongsa tells the stories of immigrants and refugees and the struggles they face on a daily basis in her beautifully crafted debut collection. A Laotian father proudly prints wedding invitations with Lao lettering, but though he seems to be able to foretell the marriages of his clients based on how they want their invitations to look, his seemingly impeccable work isn't enough to replace love. Red works at a chicken processing plant plucking feathers. The women around her attempt to beautify themselves with nose jobs and fancy clothes, but they can't hide their true struggles and loneliness within. After his boxing career ended, Raymond works at his sister's nail salon and discovers the importance of holding onto dreams even in desolate situations. In the title story, a child comes to realize that her immigrant father is limited in his knowledge when she asks him how to pronounce an English word. These stories have a quiet brilliance in their raw portrayal of the struggle to find meaning in difficult times and to belong in a foreign place. Thammavongsa writes with an elegance that is both brutal and tender, giving her stories and their characters a powerful voice. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.
• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 February #2
  *Starred Review* O. Henry Prize winner Thammavongsa tells the stories of immigrants and refugees and the struggles they face on a daily basis in her beautifully crafted debut collection. A Laotian father proudly prints wedding invitations with Lao lettering, but though he seems to be able to foretell the marriages of his clients based on how they want their invitations to look, his seemingly impeccable work isn't enough to replace love. Red works at a chicken processing plant plucking feathers. The women around her attempt to beautify themselves with nose jobs and fancy clothes, but they can't hide their true struggles and loneliness within. After his boxing career ended, Raymond works at his sister's nail salon and discovers the importance of holding onto dreams even in desolate situations. In the title story, a child comes to realize that her immigrant father is limited in his knowledge when she asks him how to pronounce an English word. These stories have a quiet brilliance in their raw portrayal of the struggle to find meaning in difficult times and to belong in a foreign place. Thammavongsa writes with an elegance that is both brutal and tender, giving her stories and their characters a powerful voice. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Souvankham Thammavongsa was born in the Lao refugee camp in Nong Khai, Thailand and was raised and educated in Toronto. She is the award-winning author of four books of poetry and her fiction has appeared in Harper's, Granta, the Paris Review, Ploughshares, Best American Non-Required Reading 2018, and the O. Henry Prize Stories 2019.