You've Changed: Fake Accents, Feminism, and Other Comedies from Myanmar
Pyae Moe Thet War
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
In this electric debut essay collection, a Myanmar millennial playfully challenges us to examine the knots and complications of immigration status, eating habits, Western feminism in an Asian home, and more, guiding us toward an expansive idea of what it means to be a Myanmar woman today What does it mean to be a Myanmar person--a baker, swimmer, writer and woman--on your own terms rather than those of the colonizer? These irreverent yet vulnerable essays ask that question by tracing the journey of a woman who spent her young adulthood in the US and UK before returning to her hometown of Yangon, where she still lives. In You've Changed, Pyae takes on romantic relationships whose futures are determined by different passports, switching accents in American taxis, the patriarchal Myanmar concept of hpone which governs how laundry is done, swimming as refuge from mental illness, pleasure and shame around eating rice, and baking in a kitchen far from white America's imagination. Throughout, she wrestles with the question of who she is--a Myanmar woman in the West, a Western-educated person in Yangon, a writer who refuses to be labeled a "race writer." With intimate and funny prose, Pyae shows how the truth of identity may be found not in stability, but in its gloriously unsettled nature.
Product Details
Price
$26.00
$24.18
Publisher
Catapult
Publish Date
May 03, 2022
Pages
224
Dimensions
5.3 X 7.7 X 1.0 inches | 0.75 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781646221073
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Pyae Moe Thet War is a writer and digital media editor who was born and raised in Yangon, Myanmar. She received a BA from Bard College at Simon's Rock, and MA's from University College London and the University of East Anglia before moving back to Yangon where she currently lives with her dogs. You've Changed is her debut book.
Reviews
A Ms. Most Anticipated Book of the Year Readers are gifted a funny, insightful, and beautifully written collection of essays . . . A must for your bookshelf . . . Incisive and exciting. --Sarah Neilson, Shondaland Perfect for fans of the podcast Armchair Expert and the Netflix show Never Have I Ever . . . You've Changed is a portrait of someone who is mostly unapologetically--though sometimes mildly apologetically--herself . . . There should be way more books by relatable people who describe themselves as 'pretty average, ' and who celebrate 'fluff, ' but who don't shy away from heavy topics--and Pyae Moe Thet War does just that. --Robyn Smith, Bust Thought-provoking, poignant, and a delight to read . . . A refreshingly honest, original exploration of personal identity. --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) In this arresting debut, War reflects on her dual lives spent in the U.S. and Myanmar to cleverly explore notions of home and identity . . . Intoxicating. --Publishers Weekly "This book was a joy to read. Bracing, heartfelt, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny, Pyae Moe Thet War considers the complexities of migration, belonging, and what it means to love in a debut that is as refreshing as it is welcoming. I can't wait to read more from this wonderful writer." --Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know "Reading You've Changed is like staying up all night with a new friend, swapping stories over a take-out container of fried rice. I was charmed by Pyae Moe Thet War's voice, at turns vulnerable, self-deprecating, and always humorous, and by her thoughtful exploration of the liminal space in which her multitude of identities--Myanmar, woman, feminist, writer--reside." --Larissa Pham, author of Pop Song You've Changed is an inviting work by a debut author whose voice flexes its skill across different terrains of living and being. Pyae Moe Thet War meditates and grapples with identity as it relates to migration, Western assimilation, and intergenerational expectations--a fine book from a severely underrepresented voice in the world of arts and letters. I hope this work leaves the door open for other Myanmar writers. --Morgan Jerkins, author of Caul Baby
