Afterparties : Stories

This collection of nine short stories reflects on the generational trauma of the Khmer Rouge through the perspective of the Cambodian community of Stockton, CA. The stories tie into each other nicely such that it reads like a cohesive whole, and shows characters at different points in their lives and through different lenses to show the interconnection of this community, and the ways that such intense violence and loss refuses to be contained in one location or one point in time.

I found this equally funny and devastating, and a deep-dive into a culture that I knew next to nothing about. There's an added weight knowing this is a tragically posthumous work. It did read to me like a first collection, lacking the maturity of a more seasoned writer. But it shows such promise, and so it's really sad that this is all we'll have from Anthony Veasna So.