{"product_id":"how-to-pronounce-knife-stories-9780316422123","title":"How to Pronounce Knife: Stories by Thammavongsa, Souvankham","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis revelatory story collection honors characters struggling to find their bearings far from home, even as they do the necessary \"grunt work of the world.\"\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e A failed boxer painting nails at the local salon. A woman plucking feathers at a chicken processing plant. A housewife learning English from daytime soap operas. A mother teaching her daughter the art of worm harvesting. In her stunning debut story collection, O. Henry Award winner Souvankham Thammavongsa focuses on characters struggling to make a living, illuminating their hopes, disappointments, love affairs, acts of defiance, and above all their pursuit of a place to belong. In spare, intimate prose charged with emotional power and a sly wit, she paints an indelible portrait of watchful children, wounded men, and restless women caught between cultures, languages, and values. As one of Thammavongsa's characters says, \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"All we wanted was to live.\" And in these stories, they do--brightly, ferociously, unforgettably. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e ​Unsentimental yet tender, taut and visceral, \u003ci\u003eHow to Pronounce Knife \u003c\/i\u003eannounces Souvankham Thammavongsa as one of the most striking voices of her generation. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eA finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN Open Book Award, and winner of the 2020 Giller Prize \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"As the daughter of refugees, I'm able to finally see myself in stories.\" --Angela So, \u003ci\u003eElectric Literature​\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Souvankham Thammavongsa\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Back Bay Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/27\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 192\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.40lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.10h x 5.50w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780316422123\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSouvankham Thammavongsa\u003c\/b\u003e was born in the Lao refugee camp in Nong Khai, Thailand and was raised and educated in Toronto. She is the award-winning author of four books of poetry and her fiction has appeared in \u003ci\u003eHarper's\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGranta\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eParis Review\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePloughshares\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBest American Non-Required Reading 2018\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eO. Henry Prize Stories 2019\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Back Bay Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49006519222425,"sku":"9780316422123","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0572\/3367\/0297\/files\/9780316422123.jpg?v=1789074898","url":"https:\/\/bookmarksretail.store\/products\/how-to-pronounce-knife-stories-9780316422123","provider":"Bookmarks Retail","version":"1.0","type":"link"}