Indies Introduce

Fiction

• 
  Afterparties, Anthony Veasna So
  Ecco, 9780063049901, August 3, 2021 (Fiction)
  

  “BELIEVE THE HYPE. In fact, call Afterparties the Goodbye, Columbus of Californian Cambodian-American life. So’s book is a glittering example of what the best story collections do —welcome you fully into a world and render it with diamond-cut detail and deep-well empathy.”

  Chris Lee, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI
  
  

  “The Khmer Rouge’s slaughter of its citizens didn’t happen too long ago. Here, in this collection of stories are how the survivors are starting over in the United States and how their kids are coping and adapting to the generational trauma as well as a country that stereotypes Asians as a model minority. The Cambo ‘kids’ deal with complex issues of race, class and sexuality while also trying to understand the older generation. And despite these serious topics, there is more than a hint of humor in the telling. These stories are brilliant and also feel so personal. There is also more than a hint of poignancy since the author has since died. If you enjoyed Tommy Orange's There There, you will love this.”

  Audrey Huang, Belmont Books, Belmont, MA
  

   

  “Complex and layered, there are a million ways to read this clever Cambodian-American collection. Each story stands strong alone, and with expertly woven threads of commonality, the collection ties itself to your heart.”

  Carrie Koepke, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO