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Ma and Me: A Memoir

Name: Ma and Me: A Memoir
Price: 17.29 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (84 reviews)

4.6 of 5 Stars: Biographies & Memoirs - Ma and Me: A Memoir

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Book Synopsis: Winner of the 2023 Pacific Northwest Book Award. Finalist for the 2023 Lesbian Memoir/Biography Lambda Literary Award.

"A nuanced mediation on love, identity, and belonging. This story of survival radiates with resilience and hope." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review).

"This openhearted memoir . . . opens the door to include queer descendants of war survivors into the growing American library of love.” ―Sarah Schulman, author of Let the Record Show.

When Putsata Reang was eleven months old, her family fled war-torn Cambodia, spending twenty-three days on an overcrowded navy vessel before finding sanctuary at an American naval base in the Philippines. Holding what appeared to be a lifeless baby in her arms, Ma resisted the captain’s orders to throw her bundle overboard. Instead, on landing, Ma rushed her baby into the arms of American military nurses and doctors, who saved the child’s life. "I had hope, just a little, you were still alive," Ma would tell Put in an oft-repeated story that became family legend.

Over the years, Put lived to please Ma and make her proud, hustling to repay her life debt by becoming the consummate good Cambodian daughter, working steadfastly by Ma’s side in the berry fields each summer and eventually building a successful career as an award-winning journalist. But Put’s adoration and efforts are no match for Ma’s expectations. When she comes out to Ma in her twenties, it’s just a phase. When she fails to bring home a Khmer boyfriend, it’s because she’s not trying hard enough. When, at the age of forty, Put tells Ma she is finally getting married—to a woman—it breaks their bond in two.

In her startling memoir, Reang explores the long legacy of inherited trauma and the crushing weight of cultural and filial duty. With rare clarity and lyric wisdom, Ma and Me is a stunning, deeply moving memoir about love, debt, and duty.

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Discover the captivating memoir that has won the hearts of readers and critics alike. Ma and Me: A Memoir is a powerful story of love, identity, and belonging. Winner of the prestigious 2023 Pacific Northwest Book Award and a finalist for the 2023 Lesbian Memoir/Biography Lambda Literary Award, this memoir is a true gem that demands your attention.

With its nuanced portrayal of survival, resilience, and hope, Ma and Me has garnered rave reviews from Publishers Weekly, who gave it a starred review and described it as a "nuanced mediation on love, identity, and belonging." Sarah Schulman, author of Let the Record Show, praises the memoir for its ability to include queer descendants of war survivors into the growing American library of love.

Follow the remarkable journey of Putsata Reang, who was just eleven months old when her family fled war-torn Cambodia. Their harrowing escape, spending twenty-three days on an overcrowded navy vessel, led them to an American naval base in the Philippines. Against all odds, Ma refused to let go of her seemingly lifeless baby, and it was the heroic actions of American military nurses and doctors that saved the child's life. Experience the gripping story that revolves around this incredible act of love and hope.

As you delve into Ma and Me, you will witness a daughter's unwavering determination to make her mother proud and repay her life debt. From working shoulder to shoulder with Ma in the berry fields each summer to achieving great success as an award-winning journalist, Putsata Reang's devotion knows no bounds. But when she reveals her true self and introduces her same-sex partner, everything changes. This memoir explores the deep-rooted cultural and filial expectations that threaten to break the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter.

In this deeply moving memoir, Reang shares her journey with rare clarity and lyric wisdom. Ma and Me delves into the profound impact of inherited trauma and the heavy weight of duty and obligation. It will leave you spellbound as you navigate the complex emotions of love, debt, and duty alongside the author.

Don't miss out on this thought-provoking and emotional memoir that will resonate with readers from all walks of life. Experience the power of Ma and Me: A Memoir as it illuminates the depths of human resilience and the complexities of parental love. Get your copy today and embark on an unforgettable literary journey.

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