This book had been cited as one of the best short story collections of 2021, and upon reading the intro, had no hesitation in picking it for my stop-gap reading. Although primarily a stop gap read (which is due to my limited, far between reading slots), it in no way discounts the quality of this work. I found to be an extra special read, on the lines of Viet Thanh Nguyen's "Refugees". Descriptions of the nine short stories is as follows (with no spoilers, of course)
Three Women of Chuck's Donuts: We see a mother and two daughters of Khmer origin, trying to build a life in times of recession, when a suspicious looking man, whom they guess to be of Khmer origin frequenting their donuts shop at unearthly hours. The mother fears that long ghosts from Cambodia has started visiting them, while for the young girls it is cause for inquisitiveness. What unfolds, is in a sense a repetition of what a typical Khmer man in California is, as these women know it. Its a case of a build up of suspense for nothing, as the three women of Chuck's Donuts have to cope with another unwarranted inconvenience, as they try stay afloat in difficult times.
Superking Son Scores again: Here we are presented with "Superking son", the gifted badminton coach, cum store owner of the Cambo community. The awe that the youth have him for him disappears in no time, when "Superking son" finds it difficult to overcome his envy, when he meets a boy with better chances than him to succeed in life. The story shows irrespective of how bad one's lot has been, it is expected by society to fight one's bitterness, and treat society fairly. Really a great short story, this one.
Maly, Maly, Maly: By the time I completed this short story, I had begun to feel that it gets better with each story. This one has it all - the cultural baggage that the youth want get away from, which they feel is weighing them down, for one. Then Maly realises that maybe, no, she needs a little bit of the cultural pie to have some comfort, from her troubled childhood. Then we have "Veas", Maly's friend, and the narrator, with his sexuality, which derives him. Never have I come across a narration in which a gay compare and contrast his "opted difference in choice" as detailed here, from his own personal point of view. A brilliant piece, this one.
The Shop: In this short story, our protagonist's father runs a flagging garage, through which he tries to provide for his degree holder son who doesn't have a job in his relevant field, and also for his irresponsible Cambodian community. Our protagonist, through his narration portrays the customs of his society, some of which are bound to their religion, Buddhism, which they had brought over from their originating country. These customs remind me of some of the popular religious practices of my Buddhist country, and how they too are, mere unquestioning customs. Amidst his sense of defeat, it is easy to see an equanimity (also a Buddhist quality), that is the innate nature of his father - his staff letting him down, his gay son's lack of aim in life, and still his perseverance.
The Monks: Here we meet the character of Maly's boyfriend once again. He attempts to do justice to his late father's spirit, as per Cambodian Buddhist beliefs. But it is clear that the monks at the temple, (with whom Rithy is spending two weeks,) are no better than the laity, as they have no aim in helping Rithy achieve his solace - again, a trait that the Bhikkus ( i.e. monks) of where I am from seem to have in common with the Cambo monks.
We would've been princes!: More scenes of popular Cambo culture , which is a mash between their own, and American. Appears that Mariah Carey is a favourite among Cambo-Americans. This story is a look at the Cambo-American life style, of the young, and the old, in California, with an overtone of satire. It is brought to us through a wedding "afterparty".
“It’s the money,” she continued. “Being rich has fucked with people’s heads. Forty years ago our parents survived Pol Pot, and now, what the holy fuck are we even doing? Obsessing over wedding favors? Wasting hundreds of dollars on getting our hair done? Do you know what the TRADITIONAL CLOTHING LADY said to me? She said, It’s good we hired her to do the wedding outfits because most Cambodians here used to be low country people, and no one but her carries the expensive styles from Phnom Penh. Can you believe that? Apparently once you have money, you develop fake problems! You should hear the shit people tell me when I do their taxes.” Monica stopped going through the bag and considered Bond, her eyes lighting up. “Marlon’s a perfect example!” she said. “He was making hella money, and then he got anxiety and depressed or whatever, and then he got addicted to drugs. It’s the money, I swear. Like, do you think our parents had ‘anxieties’ when they lived through the genocide? No, they worried about fucking surviving.”Yes, Genocide, and Pol pot. Traces of that are like an unmistakable background in almost all stories in this collection, even though most of our characters are a generation separated from them. Rithy is thankful to his father, a father who failed him mostly ( a 'dipshit' as per his uncle), for the sole reason of ensuring that he lived his life in the USA ( See "The Monks"), as an example.
Human Development: I don't recall any other work which is as explicit about gay sex as this one. In human development, our protagonist (possibly in his real life character), finds himself involved with a techie who believes in a subtle version ethnic supremacy, without actually spelling it out. "Safe places" aka, communities that "we can belong to", or "we feel we belong to", over a more broader segment of American people doesn't appeal to our protagonist in the long run, and he leaves a rich partner ( and good sex), for a more broader outlook in life. The story also made me rethink, whether I should give Moby Dick another chance - well, maybe later, if I live till my sixties ( laughs to himself), given its repeated references to it.
Somaly Serey, Serey Somaly: This is a tale of long ghosts, and grudges. Painful experiences in the times of genocide haunt the older generation in their last years. Here too we can relate Maly and Ma Eng from a previous tale, when they were in their younger years ( at least 20 years younger ?). It is possibly the story which is most closer to Cambodia's genocide. Its a tale with even the presence of an apparition - maybe its an apparition of the genocide which casts its shadow on even the generation which didn't have to experience it first hand.
Generational Differences: This story has its base the Cleveland Elementary shooting, in which Purdy (with a past of alcohol and drug related problems), took out his hatred against the Asian immigrants by killing five children, all Cambodian, or Vietnamese. Here the word play of generational differences probably suggest the difference of violence that the Cambodians had to face across generations - be it in their native land, or their land of refuge. The reference to Michael Jackson's visit, and its alternative reading adds the story an extra flavour.
Upon enjoying this collection immensely, however it is with a heavy heart that I kept my kindle aside, since I had leaned that Anthony Veasna had not lived to see his book in publication. It is indeed sad that a talented writer who could carry the story of his peoples was lost to this world, and I feel we are poorer for it.
"I watched the needle take another man
Gone, gone, the damage done" 😢
This book is highly recommended for lovers of fiction, people who appreciate the diversity of people, those culture vultures who like to read nuances of cultural traits that people carry with them, as they move across the world as their circumstances demand, and how people move on, while giving their haunted pasts a rest. A remarkable book!
Rating: ****1/2
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