Book Review: My Father the Panda Killer

By Jamie Jo Hoang

Jane, a first generation American, works hard to learn everything she can, and be the top of her class all the while working at her father’s store and caring for her younger brother, Paul. Her mother left the family without a trace when Paul was an infant, so Jane, as a young teen grew up fast. Vietnamese traditions are followed to the letter in the household. Sadly, this includes regular beatings from Jane’s father. If she did anything her father disliked or didn’t do exactly what he wanted her to do when he wanted her to do it, she was beaten. Soon Jane will be in college, but worries endlessly that Paul will soon be the victim of her father’s foul moods and beatings while she is gone.

Phuc, father of Jane and Paul, is a hard drinking, controlling man. As a child refuge, he made the long and tortuous trip in more than one boat to what he hoped was freedom. His family was still in Vietnam, so he was on his own to find his way in the world. Life for him was more than often painful both physically and mentally. Food was in short supply and fights would erupt at any time resulting in maiming and often death among the passengers.

The small family holds tight to each other throughout the long hard days of work, school and the day-to-day chores that have to be done at both home and the store. When Phuc tells his children they are all going to Vietnam to see his family, the children are shocked. When they arrive, they are greeted with kindness and love. This reunion also ignites the flame in Phuc’s heart to spend more time with his family, allowing Jane and Paul to not only learn about their ancestry, but also embrace it.

This tale of family, love and loss is tempered by the long, difficult road they have traveled. The chapters alternate between Jan and Phuc, reading about their lives first person. This enables each character to have their own voice, making the narrative much more powerful and contrasting the lives of each of the characters.

Written by the daughter of Vietnamese parents, author Jamie Jo Hoang brings the ring of truth about so many immigrants to her fiction. This is the first book I have read from Ms. Hoang, but I will seek out her adult novel, Blue Sun, Yellow Sky. I highly recommend My Father the Panda Killer to young adults as well as adults.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from the Netgalley and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2023 Laura Hartman

Book Review: Shirtless Men Drink Free – Hidden Agendas Are Ugly Bedfellows

Shirtless Men Drink Free

By Dwaine Rieves

Jackson Beekman is a rising star in his home state of Georgia. Currently the attorney general, his sights are set on the Governor’s office. But nothing is free in this world, least of all politics. Jackson needs to hedge his bets, so he begins building his campaign team.

Dr. Jane Beekman, Jackson’s sister-in-law, is one of the handpicked circle he chooses for his team.  She brings a personal agenda to the table. Politics are known for quid pro quo, and Jane is no exception. Her mother recently died a painful death due to her lifelong addiction to tobacco. She agrees to work for Jackson, and he agrees to push her agenda of raising the tax on tobacco as soon as he gets in office.

Jackson, like any human, has baggage. The problem with his is it is deep seated and hidden from almost everyone. His brother Price shares the sorrows and secrets of Jackson’s past. Price will keep the family secrets, but unbeknownst to the candidate, someone else from their past may come back to haunt Jackson.

The emotional roller coaster that the main characters ride is lightning fast. Jackson, Price and Jane are complex and complicated, their individual personalities jump from the pages and into the reader’s head.

The depth of this novel is coupled with an easy style that flows beautifully for the reader. It is hard to put this book in a box. It is fiction laced with facts, politics, social issues and human fallibility. The closest I can come to placing a label on Shirtless Men Drink Free is contemporary literary fiction. Contemporary due to the recurring theme of tobacco legislations and known health problems associated with it as well as social issues of today. I add the label “Literary” because Rieves’ beautiful use of the English language is evident throughout the book, but never pretentious.

If you only read one book this year that is not in your usual genre, I highly recommend this brilliant debut novel by Dwaine Rieves, Shirtless Men Drink Free. Read it for the human side of volatile issues that are hot topics in today’s headlines.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review. Copyright © 2019 Laura Hartman