This is all I choose to tell : history and hybridity in Vietnamese American literature

In the first book-length study of Vietnamese American literature, Isabelle Thuy Pelaud probes the complexities of Vietnamese American identity and politics. She provides an analytical introduction to the literature, showing how generational differences play out in genre and text. In addition, she asks, can the term Vietnamese American be disassociated from representations of the war without erasing its legacy? Pelaud delineates the historical, social, and cultural terrains of the writing as well as the critical receptions and responses to them. She moves beyond the common focus on the Vietnam war to develop an interpretive framework that integrates post-colonialism with the multi-generational refugee, immigrant, and transnational experiences at the centre of Vietnamese American narratives. Her readings of key works, such as Andrew Pham's Catfish and Mandala and Lan Cao's Monkey Bridge show how trauma, racism, class and gender play a role in shaping the identities of Vietnamese American characters and narrators.

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Pelaud (San Francisco State Univ.) provides the first comprehensive introduction and overview of Vietnamese American literature, a largely ignored and under-studied area within the larger field of Asian American literature. She opens part 1, "Inclusion," with a discussion of the ways that the Vietnamese immigrant experience differs from that of other immigrant groups, and then turns to a survey of Vietnamese American literature from 1960-2010. In addition, she thoughtfully explores how the stereotypical themes and images associated with the Vietnam War impact, shift, and affect reader reception and response to the literature. In the second section, "Interpretation," Pelaud builds on the context she has already established and to illustrate her arguments delves deep into four works: Andrew Pham's memoir Catfish and Mandala (1999); Lan Cao's novel Monkey Bridge (CH, Jan'98, 35-2560); dust and conscience (2002), a prose poetry collection by Truong Tran; and Linh Dinh Fake House (CH, May'01, 38-4883), a collection of short stories. Throughout, Pelaud's writing is clear and her analysis sharp. This accessible book is a must read. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division unergraduates through faculty; general readers. D. A. Henningfeld emerita, Adrian College

Preface	p. vii
Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Part 1 Inclusion
1 History	p. 7
2 Overview	p. 22
3 Hybridity	p. 44
Part 2 Interpretation
4 Survival	p. 63
5 Hope and Despair	p. 102
6 Reception	p. 118
Conclusion	p. 135
Notes	p. 139
Bibliography	p. 171
Index	p. 191

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