What we read: 5 books from Asian American and Pacific Islander authors
May is the month where we celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders! We’re a little behind, but hey, it’s always a good month to read some diverse spines. This list consists only of five books, a baby ripple in the sea of literature from AAPI authors. We hope that this list inspires you to pick up one of these books or any written by an AAPI author. Do you have any titles to suggest to us? Reach out and let us know!
I do not even know where to start with this book. Maybe I should first say that while the author is Bangladeshi Australian-Candian, the character in the book is American. It is a bit of a technicality, but I decided to roll with it. This book is what I would imagine the book version of a Phoenix to be. Taylia grows up in an emotionally distant family where her only confidant is her older sister Alyssa, their parents' favorite. When she experiences a sexual assault, her parents kick her out, and for the first time in her life, Taylia has the freedom to make her way in the world. Taylia Chatterjee is a character that will linger with you far after you finish the book. I think about her every day—the amount of trauma she experienced and the levels of healing that came out of it.
We have again another book that makes a list because of a technicality. The book is made up entirely of a phone call between sisters. The sisters discuss their lives, from growing up in Japan to moving to the United States at a young age. They grapple with their identities, language, and race. In editions from Japan, the book switches back between Japanese and English, so the reader has a deeper understanding of the sisters' dance between two worlds. The translator did an excellent job with the English edition of conveying this by changing the font.
Crying in H-Mart (Michelle Zauner)
You have probably seen this book everywhere. I promise you the book matches the hype. Not only is Zauner a talented musician, but she can also write the hell out of a book. This book talks about her relationship with her mother while growing up and as her mother is dying. The relationship between mother and daughter is complicated and beautiful. They fail to understand each other in ways they make up for it in others, such as their love for Korean cuisine. Will you cry multiple times throughout this book? YES. Is it still worth it? YES.
This book came out at the right time—a complete godsend. Kaur's talent never ceases to amaze me. This collection of poetry is split into four parts: mind, heart, rest, awake. The themes you see are sisterhood, mental health, depression, love, race, and family. If you have the time to lie in bed one morning, I recommend you read this book with the window open to hear the birds outside and a cup of coffee. Just let the words soothe your soul.
The Magical Language of Others (E.J Koh)
I'm not particularly eager to read non-fiction, and if you feel the same way as me, this will be one of the rare times that I tell you to read one. As a teenager, Koh's parents left her in the care of her brother when they moved back for a year to Korea for her father's job. Well, one year turned to two, and soon Koh had finished University. What we see in this book are the handwritten letters in Korean that Koh's mom sent her over the years. Each letter spews with love and grief for the situation they are in. In between the letters, Koh fills the gaps in her teenage years by coping with her mother's absence, finding herself, and searching for what forgiveness means to her.
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