Kepner's selection shows the many ways fiction has mirrored the lives of Thai women over the twentieth century. The spectrum is broad, encompassing the young and the old, the rural and the cosmopolitan, the privileged and the poor. Some writers address previously unacceptable themes: female sexuality, spousal abuse, gender oppression. Others display a scintillating sense of humor. They touch on many themes—injustice, the heartlessness of society, loneliness, the difficult choices that life presents. Susan Kepner's lyrical, faithful translations preserve the tenor and resonances of these voices, many of which will be heard for the first time by English-speaking readers.
The Lioness in Bloom Modern Thai Fiction about Women
About the Book
Reviews
"Kudos! Kudos! Kudos! I was bowled over by this marvel of an anthology. Each tale is a multifaceted jewel, some gleaming with irony, others rough-hewn with the pragmatics of old karma and fresh opportunity, all of them as riveting as the best of O. Henry stories. Kepner's translation gives the reader a seamless link to the Thai voice and heart. She has amassed a brilliant collection that is sure to appeal to any reader who loves the magic of storytelling."—Amy Tan"Powerful, accomplished stories and intimate views of family life."—Michael Davidson, author of The San Francisco Renaissance: Poetics and Community at Mid-Century
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Notes on Transliteration
Introduction
PART ONE: MOTHERS
Contents
Grandmother the Progressive
Junlada Phakdiphumin
Deep in the Heart of a Mother
Wat Wanlayankul
From People of Quality
Dok Mai Sot
From A Child of the Northeast
Kampoon Boontawee
Matsii
PART TWO: WIVES AND LOVERS
Snakes Weep, Flowers Smile
Suwanee Suklwntha
From Behind the Painting
Sri Burapha
From That Woman's Name is Boonrawd
Botan
Deaf Sim
Prabhassorn Sevikul
A Pot That Scouring Will Not Save
Anchan
When She Was a Major Wife
Subha Devakul
Sai-roong's Dream of Love
Sri Dao Ruang
From This Human Vessel
Krisna Asoksin
PART THREE: DAUGHTERS
The Dancing Girl
Ussiri Dhammachoti
Greenie
Manop Thanomsri
A Mote of Dust on the Face of the Earth
Preechapoul Bloonchuay
Appendix: Kings of the Chakri Dynasty
Bibliography
Suggested Reading
Sources of Publications
Index