The Latehomecomer

The Latehomecomer is by Kao Kalia Yang. The book is available at book shops and the library. The book is available at amazon is new and used conditions but is not digital.

Kao Kalia Yang will be at the Magers & Quinn Booksellers on August 4 th at 7:30 pm. The shop is located at 3038 Hennipen Ave. South. She is there to talked about the book, being an author and her experiences. Would be fun to read the book and meet her and listen to her own words of the experiences.

The book is a more serious read than the other books on the 10th grade summer reading list. Three Cups of Tea might a close second but this is different. Yang is a young woman sharing her thoughts,feelings and sights as she moves from the clouds (you need to read the book to understand that image) to America. The writing is straight forward. No attempt to "jazz" it up or build excitement. The words flow into images and descriptions. The read supplies the emotion and fears and concerns of a family and a young girl.

While the tone is quiet and reflective it moves along and fits the idea of a summer read. It is much like reading a diary which is an oral one as it should be for this young Hmong girl. It is filled with descriptions of the land particularly the mountains and the sights and sounds of war and refugee camps and human existence. And there are stories, stories of ancestors, legends, favorite stories and ones to learn from.

Worth the time. Kao Kalia Yang will be at Magers & Quinn for a live experience with an author.