About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherGrand Central Publishing

ISBN-101401303374

ISBN-139781401303372

eBay Product ID (ePID)154408307

Product Key Features

Book TitleSmile As They Bow

Number of Pages160 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2008

TopicCultural Heritage, Lgbt / Gay, Personal Growth / Success, Historical

IllustratorYes

GenreFiction, Self-Help

AuthorNu Nu Yi

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.5 in

Item Weight10.5 Oz

Item Length8.5 in

Item Width5.8 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

LCCN2009-280230

Dewey Edition22

Grade FromEighth Grade

Dewey Decimal895.1/352

Grade ToCollege Graduate Student

SynopsisAt the annual Taungbyon Festival in Burma, Daisy Bond, a gay,transvestite medium in his fifties has fallen in love with his assistant., Several of Nu Nu Yi's characters attend the annual Taungbyon Festival in honour of the spirits known as nats', which are central to traditional Burmese religious practice. There is Daisy Bond, a gay transvestite medium in his 50s, his young assistant named Min Min with whom he has fallen in love and a beautiful beggar girl who threatens to steal Min Min's heart. As they make their way through a week of ritual celebrations and spirit-channeling, each must face difficult choices and make difficult decisions.', As the weeklong Taungbyon Festival draws near, thousands of villagers from all regions of Burma descend upon a tiny hamlet near Mandalay to pay respect to the spirits, known as nats , which are central to Burmese tradition. At the heart of these festivities is Daisy Bond, a gay, transvestite spiritual medium in his fifties. With his sharp tongue and vivid performances, he has long been revered as one of the festival's most illustrious natkadaws . At his side is Min Min, his young assistant and lover, who endures unyielding taunts and abuse from his fiery boss. But when a young beggar girl named Pan Nyo threatens to steal Min Min's heart, the outrageous Daisy finds himself face-to-face with his worst fears. Written in lyrical, intoxicating prose, Smile as They Bow is, like the works of Arundhati Roy and Ha Jin, an unexpectedly whimsical, illuminating, and above all revealing portrayal of a culture few Westerners have ever witnessed. Over the past twenty years, Nu Nu Yi has become one of Burma's most acclaimed authors -- and in 2007, she became the first person living in Burma to be nominated for an international literary award. Smile as They Bow was censored for more than twelve years by the Burmese government. It is fitting, then, that this is her American debut., As the weeklong Taungbyon Festival draws near, thousands of villagers from all regions of Burma descend upon a tiny hamlet near Mandalay to pay respect to the spirits, known as nats , which are central to Burmese tradition. At the heart of these festivities is Daisy Bond, a gay, transvestite spiritual medium in his fifties. With his sharp tongue and vivid performances, he has long been revered as one of the festival's most illustrious natkadaws . At his side is Min Min, his young assistant and lover, who endures unyielding taunts and abuse from his fiery boss. But when a young beggar girl named Pan Nyo threatens to steal Min Min's heart, the outrageous Daisy finds himself face-to-face with his worst fears. Written in lyrical, intoxicating prose, Smile as They Bow is, like the works of Arundhati Roy and Ha Jin, an unexpectedly whimsical, illuminating, and above all revealing portrayal of a culture few Westerners have ever witnessed. Over the past twenty years, Nu Nu Yi has become one of Burma's most acclaimed authors--and in 2007, she became the first person living in Burma to be nominated for an international literary award. Smile as They Bow was censored for more than twelve years by the Burmese government. It is fitting, then, that this is her American debut.

LC Classification NumberPL3988