The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father

US: Metropolitan Books, 2016. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. A copy that has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE MINNESOTA BOOK AWARD In the Hmong tradition, the song poet recounts the story of his people, the ir history and tragedies, joys and losses. He keeps the past alive, invokes the spirits and the homeland, and records courtships, births, weddings, an d wishes. Following her award-winning memoir The Latehomecomer, Kao Kalia Yang now re tells the life of her father, Bee Yang, the song poetâ??a Hmong refugee in Minnesota, driven from the mountains of Laos by America's Secret War. Bee s ings the life of his people through the war-torn jungle and a Thai refugee camp. The songs fall away in the cold, bitter world of a St. Paul housing p roject and on the factory floor, until, with the death of Bee's mother, the y leave him for good. But before they do, Bee, with his poetry, has burnish ed a life of poverty for his children, polishing their grim reality so that they might shine. Editorial Reviews Review "Remarkable . . . Yang is an exceptional storyteller, one whose work remind s us that big, timeless truths reveal themselves when we pay attention to s mall, specific details."â??Minneapolis Star Tribune "Inventive and touching . . . An elegantly written, moving testament to so many aspects of the human experience."â??Pioneer Press (St. Paul) "Hauntingly lyrical . . . A memorable and moving immigrant story."â??Bookli st "A stellar memoir . . . Yang powerfully demonstrates that much of what society doesn't hold valuableâ??gifts and tal.