Afterparties

In his debut collection, Anthony Veasna So explores the lives of Cambodian-Americans, navigating between the absurd and the tender-hearted, balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth. The stories feature a high school badminton coach, a failing grocery store owner, two drunken brothers, a queer love affair, and a nine-year-old child learning about his mother's survival of a racist school shooter.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 19 August 2021
Publisher: Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press

The New York Times bestseller, So, is known for its distinctive voice, which is mellifluous, streetwise, and slightly brash, combining cynicism and bigheartedness. The author's stories are unique and quintessential, reimagining and reanimating the Central Valley in a way reminiscent of Bryan Washington's collection Lot, which reimagined Houston, and Ocean Vuong's novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, which allowed us to see Hartford in a fresh light.

Dwight Garner, writing for the New York Times, praised the collection as a remarkable debut, stating that it showcased the author's talent for seamlessly transitioning between the absurd and the tender-hearted, balancing acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth.

Hua Hsu, writing for The New Yorker, also praised the book, calling it "a remarkable début collection." She noted that the author's ability to balance acerbic humor with sharp emotional depth made for an expansive portrait of the lives of Cambodian-Americans.

The book has received numerous accolades, including being named a Best Book of Summer by several publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Thrillist, Vogue, Lit Hub, Refinery29, New York Observer, The Daily Beast, Time, BuzzFeed, and Entertainment Weekly.

The stories in Afterparties explore a wide range of themes, including the experiences of Cambodian-Americans as children of refugees, the complexities of race, sexuality, friendship, and family, the pursuit of glory days, drunken adventures, queer love affairs, and the aftermath of tragic events. The characters are nuanced and relatable, with their struggles and triumphs reflecting the experiences of many in the Cambodian-American community.

One of the standout stories in the collection is "The Badminton Coach," which follows a high school badminton coach who tries to relive his glory days by beating a rising star teenage player. The story is filled with humor and heart, as the coach grapples with his own insecurities and the pressures of his job.

Another notable story is "The Wedding Afterparty," which follows two drunken brothers who attend a wedding afterparty and hatch a plan to expose their shady uncle's snubbing of the bride and groom. The story is a dark comedy that explores the complexities of family relationships and the lengths people will go to protect their own.

The final story, "The Nine-Year-Old," is a heartbreaking tale that follows a nine-year-old child who learns that his mother survived a racist school shooter. The story explores the impact of trauma and the resilience of the human spirit, as the child grapples with his mother's past and his own feelings of fear and uncertainty.

Overall, Afterparties is a remarkable debut collection that offers an expansive portrait of the lives of Cambodian-Americans. The author's distinctive voice and ability to balance humor and emotion make for a compelling and engaging read. Whether you're interested in exploring the experiences of a specific community or simply seeking a well-written and entertaining story, Afterparties is a must-read.

Weight: 384g
Dimension: 145 x 223 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781611856514
Edition number: Main