Reading Material: Saneh Sangsuk, Birgit Weyhe, and Khue Pham
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Two captivating novels, "Rude Girl" and "Brothers and Ghosts," are set to make their mark in the literary world this month.
"Rude Girl," a graphic biography, tells the remarkable story of Priscilla Layne, a Black American woman of Caribbean parentage who navigated the challenging landscape of racism, classism, misogyny, and sexual violence to find her place in the left-skinhead scene of Chicago and later academia. The novel, penned by Layne herself, is a graphic exploration of her journey to self-discovery.
The plot unfolds when Layne receives a mysterious message from an uncle, setting events in motion that lead to a deep dive into her past and a confrontation with her identity. Although the novel's scope is ambitious, its interweaving storylines sometimes leave little room for fully fleshing out characters or relationships. Nevertheless, "Rude Girl" is a remarkably original and good-hearted contribution to the debate about who gets to tell whose story.
"Rude Girl" is a 261-page exploration of a unique perspective from the left-skinhead scene of Chicago. The novel's release date is yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, "Brothers and Ghosts" by Khuè Pham offers a different narrative. The novel follows Kieû, a journalist in contemporary Berlin, as she delves into the saga of a Vietnamese family across decades and between Berlin, South Vietnam, and "Little Saigon" in Orange County, California. The German translation of the novel, done by Janna Freier, discusses intriguing topics such as diaspora, the immigrant experience, and family dynamics.
In a different corner of the world, "The Understory" by Mui Poopoksakul delves into themes such as the anthropocene, ecological disaster, and the human-animal binary. The novel is set in the Thai village of Praeknamdang, once a jungle. The only person in the village who remembers the forest is a 93-year-old local Buddhist monk named Luang Paw Tien. In the jungle, the boundaries between humans and tigers, two species of hunters, begin to break down.
Luang Paw Tien is a master storyteller, regaling the village's children with tales of his encounters with elephants, fish, monkeys, and tigers. His stories, passed down through generations, serve as a reminder of the village's past and the delicate balance between man and nature.
Both "Rude Girl" and "Brothers and Ghosts" are available for readers to explore. "Rude Girl," a graphic biography, offers a unique perspective on identity and self-discovery, while "Brothers and Ghosts" delves into the complexities of diaspora and the immigrant experience. "The Understory," on the other hand, provides a thought-provoking exploration of our relationship with nature and the environment. These novels are must-reads for anyone interested in diverse narratives that challenge and inspire.
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