Smile as They Bow
About the book
A spirit medium and those close to him converge at a Burmese nat festival.
Asia · A READING GUIDE
Myanmar
Nu Nu Yi is a writer associated with Burma, now Myanmar. Smile as They Bow enters the world of the Taungbyon festival and the people whose livelihoods depend on its rituals. Ma Ma Lay takes readers to prewar Burma and a marriage shaped by colonial cultural divisions. Pascal Khoo Thwe adds memories of growing up in a Kayan community and his path into exile.
WHERE TO START
- Smile as They BowNu Nu Yi
- Not Out of HateMa Ma Lay
- From the Land of Green GhostsPascal Khoo Thwe
Books to begin with
An editorial selection · not rankedNo matches. Try another language or search term.
Not Out of Hate
About the book
Way Way's marriage to a Westernised trader reveals the cultural tensions of prewar Burma.
From the Land of Green Ghosts
About the book
The memoir moves from childhood in a Kayan community through political unrest to studies at Cambridge.
The Road to Wanting
About the book
At the Chinese-Burmese border, Na Ga confronts violence, displacement and the possibility of returning home.
Miss Burma
About the book
A family with Karen roots experiences Burma’s wartime and political transformations.
Context and sources
Sources on authors and their connections to this country. Specific edition details appear beside each book. Polish and English originals are not labelled as translations.
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