|
 
$3.50
Used Trade Paper
Ships in 1 to 3 days
More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionseBook editionsStealing Buddha's Dinnerby Bich Minh Nguyen
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A vivid, funny, and viscerally powerful memoir about childhood, assimilation, food, and growing up in the 1980s. As a Vietnamese girl coming of age in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bich Nguyen is filled with a rapacious hunger for American identity. In the pre-PC era Midwest, where the devoutly Christian blond-haired, blue-eyed Jennifers and Tiffanys reign supreme, Nguyen's barely conscious desire to belong transmutes into a passion for American food. More exotic seeming than her Buddhist grandmother's traditional specialties — spring rolls, delicate pancakes stuffed with meats, fried shrimp cakes — the campy, preservative-filled "delicacies" of mainstream America capture her imagination. And in this remarkable book, the glossy branded allure of such American foods as Pringles, Kit Kats, and Toll House cookies become an ingenious metaphor for her struggle to fit in, to become a "real" American. Beginning with Nguyen's family's harrowing migration from Saigon in 1975, Stealing Buddha's Dinner is nostalgic and candid, deeply satisfying and minutely observed, and stands as a unique vision of the immigrant experience and a lyrical ode to how identity is often shaped by the things we long for. Review:"A charming memoir from a Vietnamese immigrant....[And] how she copes with sibling envy, schoolmate rivalries, authoritarian figures, youthful insecurities and a nagging mystery." Ben Fong-Torres, New York Times Review:"Far from being a memoir of what could be described as fitting into the kitschy ethnic-lit genre, her story is at once personal and broad, about one Vietnamese refugee navigating U.S. culture as well as an exploration of identity." Los Angeles Times Review:"It's clear that writing the book was Nguyen's way of coming to terms with the turbulent events of growing up. All too often the character of Bich is the quiet girl in the corner, unable to speak her mind. Here, she finally does." San Francisco Chronicle Review:"Nguyen brings back moments and sensations with such vivid clarity that readers will find themselves similarly jolted back in time." Minneapolis Star Tribune Review:"Her typical and not-so-typical childhood experiences give her story a universal flavor." USA Today Synopsis:As a Vietnamese girl coming of age in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Nguyen is filled with a rapacious hunger for American identity, and in the pre-PC-era Midwest (where the Jennifers and Tiffanys reign supreme), the desire to belong transmutes into a passion for American food. More exotic- seeming than her Buddhist grandmother's traditional specialties, the campy, preservative-filled "delicacies" of mainstream America capture her imagination. In Stealing Buddha's Dinner, the glossy branded allure of Pringles, Kit Kats, and Toll House Cookies becomes an ingenious metaphor for Nguyen's struggle to become a "real" American, a distinction that brings with it the dream of the perfect school lunch, burgers and Jell- O for dinner, and a visit from the Kool-Aid man. Vivid and viscerally powerful, this remarkable memoir about growing up in the 1980s introduces an original new literary voice and an entirely new spin on the classic assimilation story. About the AuthorBich Minh Nguyen (pronounced/Bit Min New-win/) was born in Saigon in 1974. Her work has appeared in Gourmet, People, and the Chicago Tribune, She currently teaches at the University of Indiana. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!Average customer rating based on 3 comments: 
View all 3 commentsProduct Details
Other books you might like
Related Subjects
Biography » General
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Follow us on...
|
||||||||||
Don't Miss
