Book Review of Koan Khmer: A Novel

On rare occasions, I come across a book that truly resonates with me, with storylines and narrator enquiries that echo my own, and characters whose dispositions harken back to my own family members, friends, and myself. As the U.S.-born daughter of a Khmer (Cambodian) father, this is a rare occurrence. This is not to say that I do not enjoy reading works of fiction that transport me to other worlds or allow me to see things through the eyes of someone whose experiences are vastly different than mine—I do. Yet I long for narratives that offer familiarity, understanding, and a sense of belonging. I found these in Bunkong Tuon’s recent novel, Koan Khmer. Tuon deftly weaves more universal emotions—anger, grief, hope—with the main character’s (Samnang’s) intimate thoughts to represent the enigmatic space occupied by 1.5 and 2.0 generation Cambodian Americans. As such, it is a welcome addition to Southeast Asian American literature, a coming-of-age story complicated by the disruption of war and the refugee experience.