WHERE RIVERS PART A Story of My Mother's Life

Author Kao Kalia Yang's soft Hmong-accented voice opens this forthright and heartrending refugee story with the birth of her own children. She then moves on to chronicle family history from her mother Tswb's (pronounced "Chew") point of view. Yang narrates the introductory and concluding elements of the story herself, with Pamela Xiong picking up the body of the narrative, which includes episodes on her mother's childhood, fleeing the Pathet Lao, finding safety in Minnesota, being changed by motherhood, and more. Xiong's melodious tones and unhurried tempo keep listeners anchored in a memoir that does not always unfold in chronological order. Xiong's facility with Hmong names, places, and sprinklings of conversation lend authenticity to her performance. S.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2024]