"The Latehomecomer - A Hmong Family Memoir"

"The Latehomecomer, A Hmong Family Memoir" by Kao Kalia Yang is one of the best memoirs I have ever read! Kalia is a remarkable young woman/author and this story is more than just her story - her memoir. It is the story of her family as well as a tribute to the Hmong people who fought on the side of the United States during the Vietnam War and many paid for that loyalty with their lives, the lives of their families, and the loss of their homes.

Kalia writes not only of her family's struggle to survive in the jungles of Laos while evading soldiers who want to kill them but also of their life in refugee camps in Thailand before coming to America. Although her family saw America as a way to start a new life and find a place to put down roots for them and their families, it was much harder than any of them thought it might be and being accepted has not been easy.

It took time for Kalia to find her voice but she has an excellent one and her depictions are so moving. Kalia writes in such a way that I could not help but feel for her and her family and empathize with their struggles. This book is a tribute to Kalia's grandmother and the love Kalia has for her as well as a tribute to the love her parents have for each other that has endured through many difficult times.

Kalia's high school teacher, Mrs. Gallentin, was instrumental in helping her find her voice. Pages 198-201 tell about Mrs. Gallentin's encouragement as well as a poignant story Kalia wrote for a class assignment that shares the story of her parent's love. That story demonstrates the insights this young woman has -- what an observer!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough -- a must read!

If you would like to sample some of her writing, check out her web site at www.kaokaliayang.com. The bio page at the end of her book indicates she has also released a film, "The Place Where We Were Born," documenting the experiences of Hmong American refugees.

She is also co-founder of Words Wanted which is an agency dedicated to helping immigrants with writing, translating, and business services.

pazt

"The Geography of Bliss"

Author, Eric Weiner, is searching for happiness so he decides to visit the World Database of Happiness in the Netherlands to find out which countries are the happiest and which are the unhappiest. After some in depth time in the Netherlands he sets off to visit some of the happiest and unhappiest countries in the world. He shares in the book his observations after visiting The Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India, and returning home to America. I probably wouldn't have picked this book up except our couple's book club chose it for their May read. I enjoyed learning about the different countries -- some I'd not heard of before -- and I enjoyed Weiner's style of writing and his humor. I won't spoil it for you and tell you which countries are the happiest or unhappiest -- You'll have to read it for yourself!

pazt