The Lioness in Bloom

Thailand's foremost writers about women are brought to-gether in this rich and wide-ranging collection of eleven short stories and excerpts from five novels, all newly translated by Susan Kepner. Accompanied by an extensive introduction, biographical essays on the writers, and a list of further readings, this anthology provides a vibrant, thorough introduction to the powerful literary tradition of Thailand. Kepner's selection shows the many ways fiction has mirrored the lives of Thai women over the twentieth century. The spectrum is broad, encompassing the young and the old, the rural and the cosmopolitan, the privileged and the poor. Some writers address previously unacceptable themes: female sexuality, spousal abuse, gender oppression. Others display a scintillating sense of humour. They touch many themes - injustice, the heartlessness of society, loneliness, the difficult choices that life presents. Susan Kepner's lyrical, faithful translations preserve the tenor and resonances of these voices, many of which will be heard for the first time by English-speaking readers.