Welcome Me to the Kingdom

Name: Welcome Me to the Kingdom
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781838958299
Price: 36.99 NZD
Availability: InStock

By Mai Nardone

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Summary

Welcome Me to the Kingdom by Mai Nardone is a captivating tale set in the gritty, vibrant streets of Bangkok. The story weaves together the lives of diverse characters, from the daughter of a struggling bar owner to a perceptive university student. Each character navigates their own challenges, revealing the complex socio-economic tapestry of Thailand, while personal ambitions and cultural tensions vividly intertwine.
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Format: Hardback

$36⁹⁹

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Welcome Me to the Kingdom

$36⁹⁹

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are intrigued by the intersections of personal identity and cultural narratives in modern-day Thailand. The captivating stories weave together the complexities of family, love, and societal expectations, offering a profound glimpse into lives shaped by their surroundings. Its rich storytelling and deep exploration of human connections make it a thought-provoking read.

An immersive debut set across the temples, slums, and gated estates of late-twentieth century Bangkok, Welcome Me to the Kingdom tells the story of three families striving to control their own destinies in a merciless, sometimes brutally violent, metropolis.

Description

Bangkok, 1980. As the decades pass, figures fall in and out of the relentless city: Pea and Nam, who arrive in search of a better life; a Thai Elvis impersonator and his only daughter, Pinky; Benz, Tintin, and Big, a brotherhood of orphaned stray boys; Rick, the white American patriarch who abandons his Thai family when the going gets tough; Hasmah, whose bloody, hidden work is driven by secessionist rage.

Sex tourism, Buddhist cults, gambling rings, and skin-whitening routines threaten to take over a city reeling from financial crisis—in a nation constantly reinventing itself, anything can happen.

In the temples, slums, and gated estates of late-twentieth century Bangkok, Welcome Me to the Kingdom exposes the schemes and strategies, the lies and betrayals, that inch its characters tantalisingly closer to 'the good life'.

Wildly imaginative and ambitious, Mai Nardone's immersive debut announces the arrival of an extraordinary new voice, and captures the growing discrepancy between Thailand's smiling self-image and its ugly reverse.

Seen through a haze of covert agreements and cigarette smoke, these unforgettable stories capture a kingdom caught between this world and the next.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Welcome Me to the Kingdom by Mai Nardone is praised for its vivid depiction of Bangkok, showing both its luminous and shadowy sides. Critics highlight its intricate collection of stories filled with glamour and grit, exploring themes like duty, desire, and the socio-economic divides within Thai society. The book offers a compelling, unvarnished look at characters ranging from street kids to the privileged, and is noted for its portrayal of Thailand's diverse and challenging landscape. Such storytelling reveals profound truths while maintaining a nuanced and insightful narrative.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781838958299

Publisher: Atlantic Books

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 06 April 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Atlantic Books

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 398g

Pages: 288

Collections

Education & Reference Fiction General Fiction Mai Nardone

About the Author

Mai Nardone is a Thai and American writer whose fiction has appeared in American Short Fiction, Granta, McSweeney's Quarterly, Ploughshares, and elsewhere. He lives in Bangkok. Welcome Me to the Kingdom is his first book.