How to pronounce knife : stories / Souvankham Thammavongsa.
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at LARL/NWRL Consortium.
- 1 of 1 copy available at Lake Agassiz Regional Library. (Show preferred library)
Current holds
0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Detroit Lakes Public Library | THA (Text) | 33500013244934 | New | Available | - |
Record details
- ISBN: 9780316422130
- ISBN: 0316422134
- Physical Description: 181 pages ; 22 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Little, Brown and Company, [2020]
- Copyright: ©2020
Content descriptions
Formatted Contents Note: | How to pronounce knife -- Paris -- Slingshot -- Randy Travis -- Mani pedi -- Chick-a-chee! -- The universe would be so cruel -- Edge of the world -- The school bus driver -- You are so embarassing -- Ewwrrkk -- The gas station -- A far distant thing -- Picking worms. |
Summary, etc.: | "In her stunning debut, Souvankham Thammavongsa captures the day-to-day lives of immigrants and refugees in a nameless city, illuminating hopes, disappointments, love affairs, and above all, the pursuit of a place to belong. An ex-boxer turned nail salon worker falls for a pair of immaculate hands; a mother and daughter harvest earthworms in the middle of the night; a country music-obsessed housewife abandons her family for fantasy; and a young girl's love for her father transcends language. Uncannily and intimately observed, written with prose of exceptional precision, the stories in How to Pronounce Knife speak of modern location and dislocation, revealing lives lived in the embrace of isolation and severed history - but not without joy, humour, resilience, and constant wonder at the workings of the world."--Provided by publisher. |
Reviews
Author Notes
- 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.
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Immigrants > Fiction. Refugees > Fiction. Immigrants. Refugees. Short stories, Canadian. Short stories > Women authors. |
Genre: | Fiction. Short stories. Short stories. |