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Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes
A haunting and beautiful memoir from a Cambodian refugee who lost her country and her family during Pol Pot's genocide in the 1970s but who finds hope by reclaiming the recipes she tasted in her mother's kitchen. With over 20 Khmer recipes included, Slow Noodles will resonate with readers who loved the food and emotional truth of Michelle Zauner's Crying in H Mart , and it has the staying power of Loung Ung's First They Killed My Father .
“I’ve never read a book that made me weep, wince, laugh out loud, and rejoice like Slow Noodles. In Chantha Nguon’s harrowing, wise, and fiercely feminist memoir, cooking is a language—of love, remembrance, and rebellion—and stories are nourishment."
—Maggie Smith, New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful
Take a well-fed nine-year-old with a big family and a fancy education. Fold in 2 revolutions, 2 civil wars, and one wholesale extermination. Subtract a reliable source of food, life savings, and family members, until all are gone. Shave down childhood dreams for approximately two decades, until only subsistence remains.
In Slow Noodles , Chantha Nguon recounts her life as a Cambodia refugee who lost everything and everyone—her house, her country, her parents, her siblings, her friends—everything but the memories of her mother’s kitchen, the tastes and aromas of the foods her mother made before the dictator Pol Pot tore her country apart in the 1970s, killing millions of her compatriots. Nguon’s irrepressible spirit and determination come through in this emotional and poignant but also lyrical and magical memoir that includes over 20 recipes for Khmer dishes like chicken lime soup, banh sung noodles , pâté de foie, curries, spring rolls, and stir-fries. For Nguon, recreating these dishes becomes an act of resistance, of reclaiming her place in the world, of upholding the values the Khmer Rouge sought to destroy, and of honoring the memory of her beloved mother.
From her idyllic early years in Battambang to hiding as a young girl in Phnom Penh as the country purges ethnic Vietnamese like Nguon and her family, from her escape to Saigon to the deaths of mother and sister there, from the poverty and devastation she experiences in a war-ravaged Vietnam to her decision to flee the country. We follow Chantha on a harrowing river crossing into Thailand—part of the exodus that gave rise to the name “boat people”—and her decades in a refugee camp there, until finally, denied passage to the West, she returns to a forever changed Cambodia. Nguon survives by cooking in a brothel, serving drinks in a nightclub, making and selling street food, becoming a suture-nurse treating refugees abused by Thai authorities, and weaving silk. Through it all, Nguon relies on her mother’s “slow noodles” approach to healing and to cooking, one that prioritizes time and care over expediency. Haunting and evocative, Slow Noodles is a testament to the power of culinary heritage to spark the rebirth of a young woman’s hopes for a beautiful life.
“I’ve never read a book that made me weep, wince, laugh out loud, and rejoice like Slow Noodles. In Chantha Nguon’s harrowing, wise, and fiercely feminist memoir, cooking is a language—of love, remembrance, and rebellion—and stories are nourishment."
—Maggie Smith, New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful
Take a well-fed nine-year-old with a big family and a fancy education. Fold in 2 revolutions, 2 civil wars, and one wholesale extermination. Subtract a reliable source of food, life savings, and family members, until all are gone. Shave down childhood dreams for approximately two decades, until only subsistence remains.
In Slow Noodles , Chantha Nguon recounts her life as a Cambodia refugee who lost everything and everyone—her house, her country, her parents, her siblings, her friends—everything but the memories of her mother’s kitchen, the tastes and aromas of the foods her mother made before the dictator Pol Pot tore her country apart in the 1970s, killing millions of her compatriots. Nguon’s irrepressible spirit and determination come through in this emotional and poignant but also lyrical and magical memoir that includes over 20 recipes for Khmer dishes like chicken lime soup, banh sung noodles , pâté de foie, curries, spring rolls, and stir-fries. For Nguon, recreating these dishes becomes an act of resistance, of reclaiming her place in the world, of upholding the values the Khmer Rouge sought to destroy, and of honoring the memory of her beloved mother.
From her idyllic early years in Battambang to hiding as a young girl in Phnom Penh as the country purges ethnic Vietnamese like Nguon and her family, from her escape to Saigon to the deaths of mother and sister there, from the poverty and devastation she experiences in a war-ravaged Vietnam to her decision to flee the country. We follow Chantha on a harrowing river crossing into Thailand—part of the exodus that gave rise to the name “boat people”—and her decades in a refugee camp there, until finally, denied passage to the West, she returns to a forever changed Cambodia. Nguon survives by cooking in a brothel, serving drinks in a nightclub, making and selling street food, becoming a suture-nurse treating refugees abused by Thai authorities, and weaving silk. Through it all, Nguon relies on her mother’s “slow noodles” approach to healing and to cooking, one that prioritizes time and care over expediency. Haunting and evocative, Slow Noodles is a testament to the power of culinary heritage to spark the rebirth of a young woman’s hopes for a beautiful life.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 2024
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March 14, 2024
Algonquin Blog Tour
Most Americans, rightfully so, know about the Vietnam War. They know far less about Pol Pot’s devastating Cambodian genocide. As the world goes through its current genocides, I have to think, how long will we let this cycle keep happening?
I knew going into this that Chantha was Cambodian. I didn’t realize she was also of Vietnamese heritage through her mother. To the outside looking in, and perhaps in particular to westerners, if you see an outwardly Asian face, you don’t think to inquire further. I grew up with many Chinese Vietnamese. The Chinese have a vast overseas community. But to be quite honest, it hadn’t even occurred to me that a Vietnamese would be living outside Vietnam before the war, unless they were rich and lived in France.
I am of Vietnamese heritage. I finished this book on the nearly day long flights I took to get to Vietnam. It’s my first time here. This book made me feel a lot of things. Read this if you don’t feel particularly tied to one culture. Read this if you’re Southeast Asian. Read this if you’re an immigrant. Read this if you loved Crying in H-Mart. Read this because you want to.
Chantha’s story starts and ends in Cambodia, the country of her heart. As Pol Pot’s regime rises, those seen as other are forced to flee, or die. If this story sounds familiar, it is because it is still happening today in different parts of the world. While she didn’t grow up rich, she grew up slightly more middle class than both. Her paternal grandmother is a behavioral nightmare toward her mother. This isn’t a new story.
The family flees Cambodia to start anew in Vietnam, settling in Saigon. But by then, all of France’s former Southeast Asian colonies are having political uprisings. As most of you are familiar with the Vietnam War, called the American War in Vietnam, I won’t go into details.
During this time period, many people die, a lot of them in Chantha’s own family. As the situation in Vietnam grows worse, she wants to flee overseas. She has a sister in Belgium, but wants to go to the US. She and her partner make it as far as a Thai refugee camp, denied each time they interview. As the situation in the Thai refugee camps worsens, she eventually repatriates back to Cambodia to come full circle on her journey.
Most of the recipes in this book sound delicious, like the noodles of Chantha’s youth, but some of them are born of war and scarcity, and involve just rice, salt, and ingenuity. This book made me cry. The first leg of this trip made me cry. I’m just very emotional right now. Maybe you won’t connect to this story like I did, but I hope you’ll give it a try.
📱 NetGalley
Most Americans, rightfully so, know about the Vietnam War. They know far less about Pol Pot’s devastating Cambodian genocide. As the world goes through its current genocides, I have to think, how long will we let this cycle keep happening?
I knew going into this that Chantha was Cambodian. I didn’t realize she was also of Vietnamese heritage through her mother. To the outside looking in, and perhaps in particular to westerners, if you see an outwardly Asian face, you don’t think to inquire further. I grew up with many Chinese Vietnamese. The Chinese have a vast overseas community. But to be quite honest, it hadn’t even occurred to me that a Vietnamese would be living outside Vietnam before the war, unless they were rich and lived in France.
I am of Vietnamese heritage. I finished this book on the nearly day long flights I took to get to Vietnam. It’s my first time here. This book made me feel a lot of things. Read this if you don’t feel particularly tied to one culture. Read this if you’re Southeast Asian. Read this if you’re an immigrant. Read this if you loved Crying in H-Mart. Read this because you want to.
Chantha’s story starts and ends in Cambodia, the country of her heart. As Pol Pot’s regime rises, those seen as other are forced to flee, or die. If this story sounds familiar, it is because it is still happening today in different parts of the world. While she didn’t grow up rich, she grew up slightly more middle class than both. Her paternal grandmother is a behavioral nightmare toward her mother. This isn’t a new story.
The family flees Cambodia to start anew in Vietnam, settling in Saigon. But by then, all of France’s former Southeast Asian colonies are having political uprisings. As most of you are familiar with the Vietnam War, called the American War in Vietnam, I won’t go into details.
During this time period, many people die, a lot of them in Chantha’s own family. As the situation in Vietnam grows worse, she wants to flee overseas. She has a sister in Belgium, but wants to go to the US. She and her partner make it as far as a Thai refugee camp, denied each time they interview. As the situation in the Thai refugee camps worsens, she eventually repatriates back to Cambodia to come full circle on her journey.
Most of the recipes in this book sound delicious, like the noodles of Chantha’s youth, but some of them are born of war and scarcity, and involve just rice, salt, and ingenuity. This book made me cry. The first leg of this trip made me cry. I’m just very emotional right now. Maybe you won’t connect to this story like I did, but I hope you’ll give it a try.
📱 NetGalley
December 2, 2023
Prepare to be transported through time and taste with 'Slow Noodles,' where every page is a recipe for resilience and reinvention.…
Book Information
Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon is a 304-page memoir with a planned publication date of February 20, 2024. Thank you to Algonquin Books for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book for review.
Summary
In ‘Slow Noodles’, Chantha Nguon shares her life as a Cambodian refugee who lost everything due to the devastating actions of the dictator Pol Pot in the 1970s. Despite the loss of her home, family, and country, Nguon holds onto the memories of her mother's kitchen and the flavors of the dishes she once made.
My Thoughts
‘Slow Noodles’ by Chantha Nguon is an exceptionally well-written memoir that unfolds as a kaleidoscope of experiences, traversing a life most could hardly imagine. The journey takes us from a state of affluence to the harsh realms of poverty and adversity, and back again—a testament to the author's incredible tale of resilience and reinvention. 'Slow Noodles' is a literary feast—where the drama is as rich as the recipes, and every chapter is a potential viral moment for the soul.
The story serves as a vivid illustration of how life shapes individuals, offering a compelling perspective on the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate. Chantha Nguon's evolution from a carefree child to a remarkable woman reflects her strength, which she uses not only to overcome her own challenges but also to uplift the futures of those around her.
The memories shared in the book elicit a range of emotions—touching, joyous, heartbreaking, heartwarming, alarming, shocking, and gut-wrenching. These experiences provide readers with a profound connection to the author's journey, making the narrative both relatable and impactful.
What sets ‘Slow Noodles’ apart is its insightful exploration of the region's history. The author imparts firsthand and unfiltered knowledge, going beyond mere facts and dates. The narrative delves into the implications of historical events, allowing readers to see them through the eyes of someone who lived through these transformative moments. This human aspect ensures that the essence of history is not lost, adding depth and resonance to the storytelling.
A unique aspect of the book is the inclusion of recipes, which not only serve as a differentiator but also play a crucial role in advancing the narrative. Each recipe holds significance, contributing to the author's journey and telling a story of its own. Nguon doesn't just share recipes; she dishes out life lessons, one unforgettable flavor at a time. This culinary element adds a flavorful dimension to the book, enticing readers to not only savor the words but also try their hand at the delectable dishes described within the pages.
Recommendation
‘Slow Noodles’ is a captivating and multifaceted memoir that seamlessly weaves personal and historical narratives. Chantha Nguon's story, accompanied by poignant memories and enticing recipes, creates a compelling tapestry that is both enlightening and emotionally resonant. Recommended.
Rating
4 Cambodian Stars
Book Information
Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon is a 304-page memoir with a planned publication date of February 20, 2024. Thank you to Algonquin Books for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book for review.
Summary
In ‘Slow Noodles’, Chantha Nguon shares her life as a Cambodian refugee who lost everything due to the devastating actions of the dictator Pol Pot in the 1970s. Despite the loss of her home, family, and country, Nguon holds onto the memories of her mother's kitchen and the flavors of the dishes she once made.
My Thoughts
‘Slow Noodles’ by Chantha Nguon is an exceptionally well-written memoir that unfolds as a kaleidoscope of experiences, traversing a life most could hardly imagine. The journey takes us from a state of affluence to the harsh realms of poverty and adversity, and back again—a testament to the author's incredible tale of resilience and reinvention. 'Slow Noodles' is a literary feast—where the drama is as rich as the recipes, and every chapter is a potential viral moment for the soul.
The story serves as a vivid illustration of how life shapes individuals, offering a compelling perspective on the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate. Chantha Nguon's evolution from a carefree child to a remarkable woman reflects her strength, which she uses not only to overcome her own challenges but also to uplift the futures of those around her.
The memories shared in the book elicit a range of emotions—touching, joyous, heartbreaking, heartwarming, alarming, shocking, and gut-wrenching. These experiences provide readers with a profound connection to the author's journey, making the narrative both relatable and impactful.
What sets ‘Slow Noodles’ apart is its insightful exploration of the region's history. The author imparts firsthand and unfiltered knowledge, going beyond mere facts and dates. The narrative delves into the implications of historical events, allowing readers to see them through the eyes of someone who lived through these transformative moments. This human aspect ensures that the essence of history is not lost, adding depth and resonance to the storytelling.
A unique aspect of the book is the inclusion of recipes, which not only serve as a differentiator but also play a crucial role in advancing the narrative. Each recipe holds significance, contributing to the author's journey and telling a story of its own. Nguon doesn't just share recipes; she dishes out life lessons, one unforgettable flavor at a time. This culinary element adds a flavorful dimension to the book, enticing readers to not only savor the words but also try their hand at the delectable dishes described within the pages.
Recommendation
‘Slow Noodles’ is a captivating and multifaceted memoir that seamlessly weaves personal and historical narratives. Chantha Nguon's story, accompanied by poignant memories and enticing recipes, creates a compelling tapestry that is both enlightening and emotionally resonant. Recommended.
Rating
4 Cambodian Stars
February 3, 2024
Nguon has lived many lives: a brothel cook, a suture nurse in a refugee camp, a street vendor, a tofu maker, a silk weaver, a poverty-stricken refugee, and more.
From the age of nine to her mid-thirties, Nguon was a Cambodian refugee escaping the terror of Prime Minister Lon Nol’s dictatorship, then Pol Pot’s reign and the Khmer Rouge, and the genocide of her people. This is her story.
Slow Noodles—the title and the story itself—is a nod to Nguon’s mother’s slow noodles philosophy in the kitchen that became a philosophy for life: the best dishes require extra time and patience to prepare. Life can be long and hard, there are no quick fixes, but with a little faith and resiliency, something beautiful can be created.
Nguon weaves her stories of a life lived in war-torn Cambodia and Vietnam with stories of a life surrounded by food, including recipes from her homeland—from her mother, her heart. Nguon is a remarkable woman with a remarkable story that will cause readers to experience an extremely wide range of emotions: joy, nostalgia, grief, hunger, longing, empathy, sadness, and more.
This is an incredibly captivating book seeping with important history lessons as well as mouth-watering concoctions that have their own story. I believe that this is the first story—the first non-fiction story, at least—that I have read about Cambodia. For that, I am grateful that Nguon chose to share her voice and her story to others. I would consider this one of the most profound memoirs of the year. It made me really acknowledge the privileges in my life in a way that no other book has before.
Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy. Everyone should absolutely grab a copy of this when it comes out on 02/20/2024. You won’t regret it.
From the age of nine to her mid-thirties, Nguon was a Cambodian refugee escaping the terror of Prime Minister Lon Nol’s dictatorship, then Pol Pot’s reign and the Khmer Rouge, and the genocide of her people. This is her story.
Slow Noodles—the title and the story itself—is a nod to Nguon’s mother’s slow noodles philosophy in the kitchen that became a philosophy for life: the best dishes require extra time and patience to prepare. Life can be long and hard, there are no quick fixes, but with a little faith and resiliency, something beautiful can be created.
Nguon weaves her stories of a life lived in war-torn Cambodia and Vietnam with stories of a life surrounded by food, including recipes from her homeland—from her mother, her heart. Nguon is a remarkable woman with a remarkable story that will cause readers to experience an extremely wide range of emotions: joy, nostalgia, grief, hunger, longing, empathy, sadness, and more.
This is an incredibly captivating book seeping with important history lessons as well as mouth-watering concoctions that have their own story. I believe that this is the first story—the first non-fiction story, at least—that I have read about Cambodia. For that, I am grateful that Nguon chose to share her voice and her story to others. I would consider this one of the most profound memoirs of the year. It made me really acknowledge the privileges in my life in a way that no other book has before.
Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy. Everyone should absolutely grab a copy of this when it comes out on 02/20/2024. You won’t regret it.
February 20, 2024
A touching tribute to Nguon’s heritage and mother whose recipes she not only lovingly recreate and recounts but also has passed on and shared with many.
I have read other memoirs by Cambodian survivors of Pol Pot and I feared the worst for the author and her family. Although they suffered from the regime it was different from other stories I’d read.
Still, as the author watched her family dissipate food became the constant theme and focus. I loved her mother’s nickname for her as a child as she lurked and lingered in the kitchen.
There is such a tone of love and reverence by the author for food and all the memories attached to it.
It’s also a great look at the history and politics of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand for fifty years.
It’s a memorable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Alonguin Books for both digital and physical copies.
I have read other memoirs by Cambodian survivors of Pol Pot and I feared the worst for the author and her family. Although they suffered from the regime it was different from other stories I’d read.
Still, as the author watched her family dissipate food became the constant theme and focus. I loved her mother’s nickname for her as a child as she lurked and lingered in the kitchen.
There is such a tone of love and reverence by the author for food and all the memories attached to it.
It’s also a great look at the history and politics of Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand for fifty years.
It’s a memorable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Alonguin Books for both digital and physical copies.
February 22, 2024
A moving #ownvoices memoir about a Cambodian refugee growing up in Vietnam during the 70s that is infused with memories of food (including many delicious recipes), experiences of poverty, family and the strength of survival during trying times. Great on audio (even though it wasn't read by the author herself). Highly recommended if you enjoy learning about other cultures and inspiring immigrant stories. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
Want to read
March 22, 2024Only several thousand Kampucheans might have died
due to some mistakes in implementing our policy of
providing an affluent life for the people.
—Pol Pot
due to some mistakes in implementing our policy of
providing an affluent life for the people.
—Pol Pot
January 13, 2024
Honestly, if Slow Noodles sounds even vaguely interesting to you, you should pick it up. It's an amazing and richly descriptive memoir that is going to stay with me for a long time. Nguon gives so much information about regional history and the geopolitical climate during the 70s and 80s in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. She's also lived such an interesting and varied life, but it was all in the name of survival. She's been through so much. Many of us couldn't even fathom going through half of the things she has gone through and she gets through them with such perseverance and humor. She's resilient, resourceful, and fierce. This is the best memoir I think I've ever read, which admittedly I haven't read a ton, but this sets the bar high for any future ones I pick up.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC of this memoir, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
P.S. I am super excited to try out some of the recipes in this book. They seem pretty straight forward. I just need to pick up a few items from my local global market.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC of this memoir, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
P.S. I am super excited to try out some of the recipes in this book. They seem pretty straight forward. I just need to pick up a few items from my local global market.
February 23, 2024
[4.5/5 stars]
"A wound can become a source of power. Pain into strength."
This is a memoir of Chantha Nguon - escaping from Cambodian genocide in 1970s and living as a refugee who left her family, home and country behind.
This book starts with Nguon's happy memories during her 9-year childhood, when she was steeped in kitchen's aroma which flavors will help her survive years of exile. From Cambodia to Vietnam to Thailand, the blows of poverty and loss made me wonder if I was in fact reading a memoir, the amount of trauma and horror able to devastate even the stone heart. Amidst the stories of escape and desolation, cooking meant an act of maintaining Nguon's internal resistance so she could find solace in the small pleasures. While they fight for daily rice, kindness coexists with brutality and one can feel the beacon of hope that overcomes the dominant powerlessness.
One remarkable aspect is the Khmer proverbs (at the beginning of each chapter) and Vietnamese folktale infused in the pages that give a more personal touch to this memoir. Nguon shares family recipes throughout the book, inviting readers to witness her love of cooking as a connection to Nguon's past, which sustains the process of healing and endurance.
Recreating the food and its descriptions, alongside the evocative prose, flood one's mind with images and make the emotions palpable. It was delightful to immerse into the Cambodian culture (defined by rice) while meditating on star fate x religion.
SLOW NOODLES is a heartfelt homage to food and memories, also a powerful read about Cambodian voices whose past cannot be erased yet yearn for better days. Read this if you enjoy food memoir or an inspiring read about war and family.
cw: war, genocide, violence, sexual assault, death, racism
[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Algonquin books . All opinions are my own ]
"A wound can become a source of power. Pain into strength."
This is a memoir of Chantha Nguon - escaping from Cambodian genocide in 1970s and living as a refugee who left her family, home and country behind.
This book starts with Nguon's happy memories during her 9-year childhood, when she was steeped in kitchen's aroma which flavors will help her survive years of exile. From Cambodia to Vietnam to Thailand, the blows of poverty and loss made me wonder if I was in fact reading a memoir, the amount of trauma and horror able to devastate even the stone heart. Amidst the stories of escape and desolation, cooking meant an act of maintaining Nguon's internal resistance so she could find solace in the small pleasures. While they fight for daily rice, kindness coexists with brutality and one can feel the beacon of hope that overcomes the dominant powerlessness.
One remarkable aspect is the Khmer proverbs (at the beginning of each chapter) and Vietnamese folktale infused in the pages that give a more personal touch to this memoir. Nguon shares family recipes throughout the book, inviting readers to witness her love of cooking as a connection to Nguon's past, which sustains the process of healing and endurance.
Recreating the food and its descriptions, alongside the evocative prose, flood one's mind with images and make the emotions palpable. It was delightful to immerse into the Cambodian culture (defined by rice) while meditating on star fate x religion.
SLOW NOODLES is a heartfelt homage to food and memories, also a powerful read about Cambodian voices whose past cannot be erased yet yearn for better days. Read this if you enjoy food memoir or an inspiring read about war and family.
cw: war, genocide, violence, sexual assault, death, racism
[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Algonquin books . All opinions are my own ]
March 6, 2024
Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon is the story of survival. The facts of the book are moving. They are all the more so for the calm manner in which the narrative is related. What makes this memoir even more gripping is its anchor in food memories. The relatable food memories bring the story closer to me as the reader. Although I may never comprehend the enormity of it, in some small way, I can understand a small piece.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024...
#SlowNoodles by #ChanthaNguon reviewed for #NetGalley and an @algonquinbooks blog tour.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024...
#SlowNoodles by #ChanthaNguon reviewed for #NetGalley and an @algonquinbooks blog tour.
February 9, 2024
4.5/5
Wow! This was one of the best memoirs I have read in a long time. The author, Chantha Nguon, tells her story as a survivor of the Cambodian genocide and her life as a refugee in the decades that followed. Each part of the story is accompanied by stories of the recipes that Nguon's mother taught her, and dozens of her mother's actual recipes are included in the book.
I thought that connecting everything in the story back to food/recipes was a beautiful way to take back the narrative as well as honor the author's mother and the culture her recipes came from (and one that some tried very hard to quash). I found this choice very moving on a personal level because I am a descendant of genocide survivors, and my great-grandmother was also very passionate about using food to keep her culture and memories of home alive. It was very moving for me to read about someone else having a similar experience, then going so far as to share her family recipes with readers. I look forward to trying out some of Nguon's recipes myself — especially the green papaya pickles that sounded amazing!
I also enjoyed reading about how Nguon openly defied societal expectations for women and how throughout her entire horrific experience, she did her best to help other women who were suffering, then eventually made it her life's work to help women once she herself escaped poverty and war. Her journey with this was also very inspiring!
Overall, cannot recommend this enough!
(Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Book Group for the ARC!)
Wow! This was one of the best memoirs I have read in a long time. The author, Chantha Nguon, tells her story as a survivor of the Cambodian genocide and her life as a refugee in the decades that followed. Each part of the story is accompanied by stories of the recipes that Nguon's mother taught her, and dozens of her mother's actual recipes are included in the book.
I thought that connecting everything in the story back to food/recipes was a beautiful way to take back the narrative as well as honor the author's mother and the culture her recipes came from (and one that some tried very hard to quash). I found this choice very moving on a personal level because I am a descendant of genocide survivors, and my great-grandmother was also very passionate about using food to keep her culture and memories of home alive. It was very moving for me to read about someone else having a similar experience, then going so far as to share her family recipes with readers. I look forward to trying out some of Nguon's recipes myself — especially the green papaya pickles that sounded amazing!
I also enjoyed reading about how Nguon openly defied societal expectations for women and how throughout her entire horrific experience, she did her best to help other women who were suffering, then eventually made it her life's work to help women once she herself escaped poverty and war. Her journey with this was also very inspiring!
Overall, cannot recommend this enough!
(Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Book Group for the ARC!)
April 8, 2024
In the 70's Pol Pot's name mentioned in the news could stun a room into silence. . .his reign of terror was known to be brutal but details were few with hardly a word slipping to the world at large, said those reporters who did. It has taken all these years for someone's story to cross my too-narrow awareness, to pull my ears to their words, my eyes to the terrible screen of their experience, and thankfully to their survival built one meal at a time, no matter the time and horror between.
Chantha Nguon is a relentless warrior woman as her circle of women taught her to be. . .and she became just about the last woman standing out of her family. Yet she remembered - she kept all those memories of their wise words, the tastes and smells they created, the songs they sang, and their brave and rash actions - keeping all these in her heart.
She was battered down on every level - she remained focused on the one goal: to survive. She did. She got back up, she remained, she persisted, and when the goal was achieved, she looked back and began to make spaces into which others could move forward and hold a place. She writes mixing heartbreak and sensual joy. She paints a bleak picture, with flashes of intense winks of smell, taste, textures and sounds shining from the bleak frames. . .bright bits of her own hopes, foundation for her remarkable patience and resilience in the face of utter terror.
Her use of the "recipe" format delighted me. Through that she touched through my heart to the hearts of anyone who has ever personally prepared my next meal - most likely a loved one - this is a format that can be understood in most any language. And with a stroke of genius she turns it into a metaphor for her basics - ingredients and actions: what is needed to take down a society, what is needed to build it up, what is needed to survive, what is needed to thrive.
We didn't know we missed her voice until we heard her story, songs. . .and to remind us of our human connection she generously invites us to her table with one of her family's most sacred truths: their recipes for surviving.
*A sincere thank you to Chantha Nguon, Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review. #SlowNoodles #NetGalley
Chantha Nguon is a relentless warrior woman as her circle of women taught her to be. . .and she became just about the last woman standing out of her family. Yet she remembered - she kept all those memories of their wise words, the tastes and smells they created, the songs they sang, and their brave and rash actions - keeping all these in her heart.
She was battered down on every level - she remained focused on the one goal: to survive. She did. She got back up, she remained, she persisted, and when the goal was achieved, she looked back and began to make spaces into which others could move forward and hold a place. She writes mixing heartbreak and sensual joy. She paints a bleak picture, with flashes of intense winks of smell, taste, textures and sounds shining from the bleak frames. . .bright bits of her own hopes, foundation for her remarkable patience and resilience in the face of utter terror.
Her use of the "recipe" format delighted me. Through that she touched through my heart to the hearts of anyone who has ever personally prepared my next meal - most likely a loved one - this is a format that can be understood in most any language. And with a stroke of genius she turns it into a metaphor for her basics - ingredients and actions: what is needed to take down a society, what is needed to build it up, what is needed to survive, what is needed to thrive.
We didn't know we missed her voice until we heard her story, songs. . .and to remind us of our human connection she generously invites us to her table with one of her family's most sacred truths: their recipes for surviving.
*A sincere thank you to Chantha Nguon, Algonquin Books, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and independently review. #SlowNoodles #NetGalley
March 30, 2024
This was such an interesting memoir. I loved the unusual format of the book - it was like a life story revolved around food. The Cambodian author grew up in a very traumatic time in the history of her country - War- torn, full of death and devastation. I really knew nothing about Cambodia before reading this book. It’s history is so painful and full of poverty and tragedy. But Chantha Nguon has shown the resilience and determination that is rarely found in women from Southeast Asia. Although I could never cook these recipes, there is a lot of work and ingredients involved in these dishes she has included in her book. The food adds another layer to her life story.
February 29, 2024
Slow Noodles is Chantha Nguon's memoir of her life before and after the Pol Pot regime devastated Cambodia. She describes a life of plenty which suddenly turned to nothing, and then the difficulties of being a Cambodian refugee in Thailand. One thing she held onto was the memory of her mother's recipes, and she shares those recipes along with her story.
As she begins to relay the pain of her journey, she asks us to close our eyes and imagine losing everything we have. This book is a reminder to treasure the things that really matter. The story is both heartbreaking and uplifting, and the recipes sound wonderful. Although I received a free audio copy, I also ordered a hardcover copy for myself. This book and these recipes are meant to be saved and cherished.
The audiobook narrator, Clara Kim, has a beautiful, musical voice that is perfect for this memoir. The whole audiobook production just swept me away to this difficult time and place.
I received a free copy of the audiobook from Hachette Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
As she begins to relay the pain of her journey, she asks us to close our eyes and imagine losing everything we have. This book is a reminder to treasure the things that really matter. The story is both heartbreaking and uplifting, and the recipes sound wonderful. Although I received a free audio copy, I also ordered a hardcover copy for myself. This book and these recipes are meant to be saved and cherished.
The audiobook narrator, Clara Kim, has a beautiful, musical voice that is perfect for this memoir. The whole audiobook production just swept me away to this difficult time and place.
I received a free copy of the audiobook from Hachette Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
March 9, 2024
A story of suffering and strength
I have never read a story that has so much suffering but also so much strength as Slow Noodles: A memoir. This is a story about a women who grew up in Cambodia as a middle-class child, fled her country to Vietnam before Pol Pot’s genocide in Cambodia, lived through poverty and hunger in Vietnam under communist regime, lived through refugee camp years in Thailand, then came home to Cambodia to rebuild her life. In the end, she build a women development center to change her life and women life in her village in Stung Teng. I was amazed by her life stories. She learnt her traditional Cambodia recipes, patience, and kindness from her mother and sister. Then history and life taught her strength, tenacity, independence, resourcefulness, and hope.
I was also saddened with these historic events told by the author that I only learnt in history class or mentioned briefly by my family while growing up in Vietnam. I also was almost too afraid or ignorant to learn. But they came alive on her pages. I never knew much about hunger, death, war, Pol Pot's massacre, boat people, refugee camps, poverty, and sickness until this memoir taught me in a matter-of-fact, no nonsense voice. There were so much trauma and suffering, that should never be ignored, minimized, or forgotten.
This is my first historic memoir that I ever read within the last 7 years. And it will not be the last.
I have never read a story that has so much suffering but also so much strength as Slow Noodles: A memoir. This is a story about a women who grew up in Cambodia as a middle-class child, fled her country to Vietnam before Pol Pot’s genocide in Cambodia, lived through poverty and hunger in Vietnam under communist regime, lived through refugee camp years in Thailand, then came home to Cambodia to rebuild her life. In the end, she build a women development center to change her life and women life in her village in Stung Teng. I was amazed by her life stories. She learnt her traditional Cambodia recipes, patience, and kindness from her mother and sister. Then history and life taught her strength, tenacity, independence, resourcefulness, and hope.
I was also saddened with these historic events told by the author that I only learnt in history class or mentioned briefly by my family while growing up in Vietnam. I also was almost too afraid or ignorant to learn. But they came alive on her pages. I never knew much about hunger, death, war, Pol Pot's massacre, boat people, refugee camps, poverty, and sickness until this memoir taught me in a matter-of-fact, no nonsense voice. There were so much trauma and suffering, that should never be ignored, minimized, or forgotten.
This is my first historic memoir that I ever read within the last 7 years. And it will not be the last.
March 5, 2024
I have read many books on Cambodia, but this was unique. An ode to food, memories of cooking, and the unimaginable horrors of war.
I couldn't relate to the food as most of it was non-vegetarian, but it didn't matter. Chantha's love for cooking, and love for her country shines. A sweet, slow treasure.
I couldn't relate to the food as most of it was non-vegetarian, but it didn't matter. Chantha's love for cooking, and love for her country shines. A sweet, slow treasure.
April 15, 2024
If you liked water for chocolate,a book with recipes loved it. This is a book about a Cambodian memoir, of love, loss and family recipes.
September 10, 2023
(Note: I read an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
As a memoir of someone who came of age in southeast Asia amidst the upheavals of the Vietnam War, the Khmer Rouge and the and the Cambodian genocide, Chantha Nguon’s personal tale is full of memories that are both touching, and also gut-wrenching moments that a reader will feel deep to their core. Above all though, it’s an incredible tale of resilience and reinvention that I couldn’t tear myself away from.
I particularly appreciated Nguon’s choice to structure this telling of her life story around the recipes that have nourished her over the years in a variety of ways. It provided an extra dimension that I haven’t often encountered in other memoirs. Not only could I see and hear her world over the passing years, but I often felt I was able to taste and smell it as well - even though I know for a fact that many of the described flavors and scents are quite unfamiliar to me. Also, many of the dishes were little cultural lessons in their own right, which I quite enjoyed as someone whose knowledge of the region is definitely lacking.
I ended up devouring Slow Noodles (pun initially unintended) within the span of just one weekend. And now that I’ve finished it, I definitely have firm plans to try and get this inspirational and immersive read on the shelves of both my public library and the academic library I work at - all while recommending it to others when the opportunity arises.
As a memoir of someone who came of age in southeast Asia amidst the upheavals of the Vietnam War, the Khmer Rouge and the and the Cambodian genocide, Chantha Nguon’s personal tale is full of memories that are both touching, and also gut-wrenching moments that a reader will feel deep to their core. Above all though, it’s an incredible tale of resilience and reinvention that I couldn’t tear myself away from.
I particularly appreciated Nguon’s choice to structure this telling of her life story around the recipes that have nourished her over the years in a variety of ways. It provided an extra dimension that I haven’t often encountered in other memoirs. Not only could I see and hear her world over the passing years, but I often felt I was able to taste and smell it as well - even though I know for a fact that many of the described flavors and scents are quite unfamiliar to me. Also, many of the dishes were little cultural lessons in their own right, which I quite enjoyed as someone whose knowledge of the region is definitely lacking.
I ended up devouring Slow Noodles (pun initially unintended) within the span of just one weekend. And now that I’ve finished it, I definitely have firm plans to try and get this inspirational and immersive read on the shelves of both my public library and the academic library I work at - all while recommending it to others when the opportunity arises.
February 21, 2024
“Once you have learned to lose everything, there’s nothing left to fear,” Chantha Nguon learned. A refugee at age five, she lost the security of a loving, comfortable home filled with the aromas of her mother’s cooking. Haunted by the memory of hunger and the memory of happiness that could be resurrected with a taste of a beloved dish from her childhood, Chantha endured and survived, and finally, was able to thrive and help other women with her non-profit organizations. But it was a long journey across three countries and a decade in a refugee camp.
It tasted like home and happiness, like a past I chose to remember as perfect.
from Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon
Chantha shares her family recipes that shaped her life, including her mother’s Slow Noodles Porridge with Chicken and Pork and Pate de Foie, to foods of desperation, Land-Mine Chicken and Frog Soup.
“Free will is a muscle It requires exercise,” Chantha writes. Her family’s escape from Cambodia for Vietnam did not bring safety, for under Pol Pot starvation and death stalked them. As a young woman, she and a companion plotted to escape to Thailand, but instead of finding a refuge they were interned in camps where privation and hunger and disease awaited. Although Chantha spoke numerous languages and had training in sewing, cooking, and medical care, they were unable to gain refuge in the West. Desperate for their lives to begin, they accepted repatriation to Cambodia. After failed ventures to find an income, finally found employment and opportunity to help others.
From a soft childhood to the trauma of war and dictatorship to opening a Women’s Development Center, Chantha’s story will enthrall and inspire.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
It tasted like home and happiness, like a past I chose to remember as perfect.
from Slow Noodles by Chantha Nguon
Chantha shares her family recipes that shaped her life, including her mother’s Slow Noodles Porridge with Chicken and Pork and Pate de Foie, to foods of desperation, Land-Mine Chicken and Frog Soup.
“Free will is a muscle It requires exercise,” Chantha writes. Her family’s escape from Cambodia for Vietnam did not bring safety, for under Pol Pot starvation and death stalked them. As a young woman, she and a companion plotted to escape to Thailand, but instead of finding a refuge they were interned in camps where privation and hunger and disease awaited. Although Chantha spoke numerous languages and had training in sewing, cooking, and medical care, they were unable to gain refuge in the West. Desperate for their lives to begin, they accepted repatriation to Cambodia. After failed ventures to find an income, finally found employment and opportunity to help others.
From a soft childhood to the trauma of war and dictatorship to opening a Women’s Development Center, Chantha’s story will enthrall and inspire.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book.
April 14, 2024
This book was given to me as a birthday gift, and what a gift it was. I have read several memoirs about the Khmer Rouge genocide specifically, and others about Southeast Asia during that general time period, but none of them have been as well-written or stood out as much as this one does. Having lived in Cambodia for over a decade, I am very critical when it comes to these types of books, especially if I feel like its writing that is only depicting trauma and violence, without offering a new perspective or adding value beyond the obvious horrific bloodshed. Chantha's tale is certainly harrowing, but its always moving somewhere; Slow Noodles adds so much nuance and quality storytelling to the canon of Khmer Rouge memoirs.
Slow Noodles tells the true story of a young Khmer-Vietnamese girl who is born in an upper middle class village in a Cambodian province near the Thai border in the years leading up to the political turmoil that enabled the Khmer Rouge to eventually seize power. She and her family (some of them, anyway) flee to Vietnam once they realize that ethnic cleaning is on the horizon. Chantha ends up navigating a path from Ho Chi Minh back to a devastated post-war Phnom Penh, then to a Thai refugee camp where she spends over a decade, before living for a while with an indigenous community in northern Cambodia, and finally finding home in Steung Treng province, Cambodia. Perhaps it meant more to me on the whole because I am familiar with the geography and the bits of Khmer language interspersed in the paragraphs, but I really think anyone could get swept away by this writing. It's just good writing.
The main theme of the entire memoir, besides survival, is food. How the food of her mother and of her childhood sustained her, how her cooking skills often allowed her to literally survive, how food creates bonds among people, and what it means and how it feels when you have it and don't have it. How taste is linked to memory and those memories become culture after cultures have been destroyed by war. There are recipes throughout the book that elicit Khmer and Vietnamese influenced dishes of the past and present, all beautifully connected to the stories in each chapter.
Truly great read, I could not put it down. Highly recommend.
Slow Noodles tells the true story of a young Khmer-Vietnamese girl who is born in an upper middle class village in a Cambodian province near the Thai border in the years leading up to the political turmoil that enabled the Khmer Rouge to eventually seize power. She and her family (some of them, anyway) flee to Vietnam once they realize that ethnic cleaning is on the horizon. Chantha ends up navigating a path from Ho Chi Minh back to a devastated post-war Phnom Penh, then to a Thai refugee camp where she spends over a decade, before living for a while with an indigenous community in northern Cambodia, and finally finding home in Steung Treng province, Cambodia. Perhaps it meant more to me on the whole because I am familiar with the geography and the bits of Khmer language interspersed in the paragraphs, but I really think anyone could get swept away by this writing. It's just good writing.
The main theme of the entire memoir, besides survival, is food. How the food of her mother and of her childhood sustained her, how her cooking skills often allowed her to literally survive, how food creates bonds among people, and what it means and how it feels when you have it and don't have it. How taste is linked to memory and those memories become culture after cultures have been destroyed by war. There are recipes throughout the book that elicit Khmer and Vietnamese influenced dishes of the past and present, all beautifully connected to the stories in each chapter.
Truly great read, I could not put it down. Highly recommend.
February 25, 2024
[Copy provided by publisher]
READ IF YOU LIKE...
• The power of food
• Overcoming immense hardship
• Strong women
I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A captivating memoir about one woman's life ripped apart by the Khmer Rouge. Chantha was nine when she fled with family from Cambodia to Vietnam as a refugee. After years in Saigon, left with no family and no hope, Chantha recounts her harrowing journey to Thailand in hopes of coming to America, waiting ten years before being turned away, and being forced to repatriate into a former country that is unrecognizable.
I'm so grateful that people like Chantha have taken the time and done the work to share their stories when so many others are unable or didn't survive. It's important to confront this history and also celebrate the resilience of women like her, who persisted through unimaginable conditions.
What makes this memoir truly shine is Chantha's dedication to food. It's the gateway to her memories but also a cultural touch point that she's trying to preserve -- something that becomes extra important when her people have lost so much of everything else. From complicated, rich dishes to bare-bone, lean meals, her recipes emphasize the power and comfort we derive from food. I feel privileged to glimpse the spicy, sour, creamy, and rich flavors that have made up Chantha's incredible life.
READ IF YOU LIKE...
• The power of food
• Overcoming immense hardship
• Strong women
I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A captivating memoir about one woman's life ripped apart by the Khmer Rouge. Chantha was nine when she fled with family from Cambodia to Vietnam as a refugee. After years in Saigon, left with no family and no hope, Chantha recounts her harrowing journey to Thailand in hopes of coming to America, waiting ten years before being turned away, and being forced to repatriate into a former country that is unrecognizable.
I'm so grateful that people like Chantha have taken the time and done the work to share their stories when so many others are unable or didn't survive. It's important to confront this history and also celebrate the resilience of women like her, who persisted through unimaginable conditions.
What makes this memoir truly shine is Chantha's dedication to food. It's the gateway to her memories but also a cultural touch point that she's trying to preserve -- something that becomes extra important when her people have lost so much of everything else. From complicated, rich dishes to bare-bone, lean meals, her recipes emphasize the power and comfort we derive from food. I feel privileged to glimpse the spicy, sour, creamy, and rich flavors that have made up Chantha's incredible life.
March 15, 2024
Things I learned while reading this book:
Pol Pot had all the archives and libraries burned to erase records, history, and the culture of Cambodia prior to his rise to power.
Pol Pot never stood trial for what he did and lived a long life. He never repented.
Only three people were tried by the UN for crimes against the people Cambodia.
The rest lived alongside the survivors as if nothing had happened.
If I were to write an updated version of Christine de Pizan's The Book of the City of Ladies, I would include Chantha Nguon as one of the chief architects. Her vision for rebuilding her country and improving the lives of the girls and women in her country which her daughter also carries is beautiful.
This memoir will break your heart. It will make you want to go learn how to cook these dishes. It will make you rage at the lack of Justice. It will also fill you with hope and love for your fellow man, and teach you how to reach out in love and generosity even when you feel powerless or like you have nothing left to give.
This book should be mandatory reading for high school students. I'd be willing to bet that most Americans my age or younger have almost no knowledge of this part of recent history.
Pol Pot had all the archives and libraries burned to erase records, history, and the culture of Cambodia prior to his rise to power.
Pol Pot never stood trial for what he did and lived a long life. He never repented.
Only three people were tried by the UN for crimes against the people Cambodia.
The rest lived alongside the survivors as if nothing had happened.
If I were to write an updated version of Christine de Pizan's The Book of the City of Ladies, I would include Chantha Nguon as one of the chief architects. Her vision for rebuilding her country and improving the lives of the girls and women in her country which her daughter also carries is beautiful.
This memoir will break your heart. It will make you want to go learn how to cook these dishes. It will make you rage at the lack of Justice. It will also fill you with hope and love for your fellow man, and teach you how to reach out in love and generosity even when you feel powerless or like you have nothing left to give.
This book should be mandatory reading for high school students. I'd be willing to bet that most Americans my age or younger have almost no knowledge of this part of recent history.
March 17, 2024
This is a memoir of a woman who was affected by not one but two civil wars and communist takeovers. Chantha - a Cambodian/Vietnamese woman uses food nostalgia to narrate her survival during the Vietnam War & Khmer Rouge regime. Family recipes are used as a medium to conjure her stories of survival. I enjoyed the ones for “Little Girl Heaven”, “Taste of Poverty”, “Silken Rebellion” & “A Rice Bowl of Forgetting”. Outside the SE Asian cuisine, there are moments where she uses “recipes” as prose to narrate her adversity. Chantha goes from being a spoiled 1960’s Khmer girl to a refugee woman displaced for two decades until her repatriation.
Her story is inspiring. After everything she continues to make an impact by helping Cambodian women through her non profit. The epilogue written by her daughter Clara Kim resonated deeply with me as a fellow daughter of Khmer Rouge survivors. I’m more familiar with stories of Khmer’s who immigrated after the genocide. But not so much with those who stayed in Cambodia. This was my first time reading about a refugee who ultimately went back home. It’s so wonderful to see more Cambodian stories being published.
Her story is inspiring. After everything she continues to make an impact by helping Cambodian women through her non profit. The epilogue written by her daughter Clara Kim resonated deeply with me as a fellow daughter of Khmer Rouge survivors. I’m more familiar with stories of Khmer’s who immigrated after the genocide. But not so much with those who stayed in Cambodia. This was my first time reading about a refugee who ultimately went back home. It’s so wonderful to see more Cambodian stories being published.
April 21, 2024
Nguon discusses her time escaping Cambodia in the early 1970s before genocide. Her family escapes to Vietnam, where they endure hardships and loss. At a young age, she is forced to fend for herself. She views the first 9 years of her life as a very happy time, characterized by days with her mother and older sister in the kitchen and a full stomach. From there, she attempts to smuggle, works in a bar, then ultimately begins a journey in the hopes of immigrating to a Western country.
After a decade in a Thai refugee camp, she repatriates to Cambodia to find the landscape severely changed and the people in need. She starts a center for women to improve their literacy and learn skills such as weaving. The desire to help her people is strong.
Food is woven throughout the book, in recipes and in the narrative. Nguon illustrates how food binds us together and how cooking for others is one of the greatest acts of love. She relishes her mother's recipes, but also finds a fondness for instant noodles when at her most desperate. Context can make anything feel like a delicacy and bring forth a greater sense of appreciation.
After a decade in a Thai refugee camp, she repatriates to Cambodia to find the landscape severely changed and the people in need. She starts a center for women to improve their literacy and learn skills such as weaving. The desire to help her people is strong.
Food is woven throughout the book, in recipes and in the narrative. Nguon illustrates how food binds us together and how cooking for others is one of the greatest acts of love. She relishes her mother's recipes, but also finds a fondness for instant noodles when at her most desperate. Context can make anything feel like a delicacy and bring forth a greater sense of appreciation.
April 5, 2024
An inspiring story, but like a 3.4 from me. Wasn’t really moved by the writing style, and I didn’t feel the other people in her life were really well developed. How is Chan her life partner and the father of her children and I know like essentially nothing about him?
Recipe interludes were interesting, and I learned a lot about the history of vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, but I probably won’t be recommending it to anyone.
Recipe interludes were interesting, and I learned a lot about the history of vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, but I probably won’t be recommending it to anyone.
January 23, 2024
This was a beautiful and haunting memoir and food diary of a women who was a Cambodian-Vietnamese refugee. She went through so much (I cried!) with her family and being forced to grow up so fast. I have never known hunger or poverty like she described and it was an emotional learning journey for me. I recommend this book for those who enjoy stories of perseverance and strength, and to learn about the rich culinary history of Cambodia.
April 20, 2024
This is a beautiful book and an important one. Nguon's life, her resourcefulness, her compassion, are beautifully told. I like how the recipes (just the right number) are woven into--included in--the narrative. Rich and multi-layered, Slow Noodles tells an incredible tale. It's the sort of book that lives within you as you read it; you're more than sorry when it's over.
March 14, 2024
I think there are two ways to sum up this book. One positive and one not so much.
1. You will be hungry. I don’t even like fish and I found myself wanting to try the fish recipes.
2. Put it this way, people were fleeing TO Vietnam during the war…
1. You will be hungry. I don’t even like fish and I found myself wanting to try the fish recipes.
2. Put it this way, people were fleeing TO Vietnam during the war…
April 12, 2024
Even though I lived through the Vietnam War, I had no idea what the people of Cambodia went through during that time. This memoir brought to life the trials of these people.
April 7, 2024
A combination of some yummy recipes with good background on Cambodia and Vietnam during the bad times for both.
January 19, 2024
This is such an unusual and wild story that it makes for truly remarkable reading. It's almost impossible to believe that one woman's life could have such a trajectory and it is a real eye-opener on the plight of Cambodians and Viet Namese. The recipes are beyond what I would even ever think of trying so if you're looking for a cookbook this probably isn't going to satisfy you. But it will make you very curious about this cuisine that the author seems to have mastered with the help of her mother and older sister. It's a sad story, but also a success story. If you need an example of grit, this is it right here.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's truly incredible.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's truly incredible.
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