Chicks On Lit discussion

Our group read for August is In the Shadow of the Banyan.

Discussion Questions (all but the first are pulled from the guide provided at the end of my Kindle edition of this book)

Answer as many or as few as you would like. Feel free to add in your own questions too.

1.) What did you think?

2.) According to the prophecy that Grandmother Queen tells Raami at the beginning of the novel, “There will remain only so many of us as rest in the shadow of a banyan tree.” What does the prophecy mean to Raami when she first hears it? How does her belief in the prophecy change by the end of the novel? After reading, what does the title of this novel mean to you?

3.) Papa tells Raami, “I told you stories to give you wings, Raami, so that you would never be trapped by anything— your name, your title, the limits of your body, this world’s suffering.” How does the power of storytelling liberate Raami at different points in the novel?

4.) Discuss Raami’s feelings of guilt over losing Papa and Radana. Why does she feel responsible for Papa’s decision to leave the family? For Radana’s death? How does she deal with her own guilt and grief?

5.) Raami narrates, “my polio, time and again, had proven a blessing in disguise.” Discuss Raami’s disability, and its advantages and disadvantages during her experiences.

6.) “ Remember who you are,” Mama tells Raami when they settle in Stung Khae. How does Raami struggle to maintain her identity as a daughter, a member of the royal family, and a Buddhist? Why does Mama later change her advice and encourage Raami to forget her identity?

7.) At the end of the novel, Raami realizes something new about her father’s decision to give himself up to the Kamapibal: “I’d mistaken his words and deeds, his letting go, for detachment, when in fact he was seeking rebirth, his own continuation in the possibility of my survival.” Discuss Papa’s “words and deeds” before he leaves the family. Why did Raami mistake his intentions, and how does she come to realize the truth about him?

8.) How much did you know about the Khmer Rouge before reading In the Shadow of the Banyan? What did you learn?

1. I really enjoyed the book. This is not a book I would have picked up on my own, and only read it because it was selected here. But I was pleasantly surprised at how engrossing it was for me. I think I was most impressed because I read the about the author things in the back of the book first, and I realized this was a fictionalized story of the author's own life. I think this was a wonderful way for her to remember her father, and remember her family, and the horrors they experienced, and the horrors she herself lived through and saw.

8. Honestly, I knew very little about the Khmer Rouge before reading this book. I had heard of the "killing fields", but had not read anything about the Cambodian war or this whole episode in history. I remember when I was in grade school though, a family on my school bus route had some Cambodian refugees come and live with them. At that time it was just a "unique" thing to me, without any real basis of understanding, but now remembering seeing this family, the children, I wonder if they could have been like Raami, if they could have seen the horrors she saw. I wonder what they experienced, that I never knew about and will never understand.

Lots of great questions Viola, thanks for facilitating this discussion! I loved the book. I thought Radner did a great job honoring her family even as she novelized her own story. It is incredibly depressing to realize this kind of political genocide has taken place in so many cultures in our recent history.

I'm older! So back in my single years, I had lived in a small sixplex in St. Paul MN in which two of the apartments were rented by a local church for Cambodian refugees they sponsored. It was obviously a rather mixed/poor inner city neighborhood. I had some remarkable experiences in the eight years I lived there. There were several families floating in and out over the years. It brought back so many memories.

The banyan tree symbolized a refuge for me. I think this was a cultural prophecy that had lots of layers of meaning. Ultimately for me, it was refuge from worst instincts of mankind. Politically history repeats itself. It seems evident that factions don't battle necessarily for an ideology that they think is right, but often simply for power. And there will always be an element seeking to oppress another. The banyan is a place of safety and life. Whether the grandmother intended that deeper meaning when she quoted the prophecy is questionable, but I think she understood that complexity. I believe by the end, it came to have all those levels of interpretations for Raami. And who are those that rest in the shade? And why did they survive as opposed to anyone else??

I "enjoyed" the book. Not sure I should use that word for a book about a child living in such horror, but it certainly was a worthwhile read. I had intended to read it for some time, but, just kept putting it off because other GR group reads bumped their way to the top of the pile. So, i am glad this was chosen for August.

One of my favorite scenes was when our narrator finally realizes that her mother loved her best. Children often misperceive their parents' actions and words. I was so glad that the mother found the words to convey her profound love for her daughter.. I loved so many caracters. Big Uncle and Papa were both amazing men. Mama was incredibly strong. Mae and Pok were a wonderful ray of light in the midst of such sorrow, great serogate grandparents. And, I was glad for the District Chief, the representative of all the members of the revolutionary movement who were in it for the right reasons. The good was destroyed with the bad. Papa believed in Marxist ideals, wanted justice for the poor and a more shared distribution of the countries resources. The problem is not with any particular political or economic theory, but with the greed and hatred that can twist anything into a reason to destroy.

The thing I kept thinking as I was reading the book was how familiar the story was. This has been repeated from the Nazi regime of Hitler to the Communist revolutions in China and the Soviet Union, from Uganda to Chili. It breaks my heart to believe that I am part of a species that destroys its own over and over in the name of greed and power-lust. I kept wondering what the rest of the world could have/should have done. Would things have been better or worse had the Vietnam war not turned into an international slaughter, had the US not pulled out of Cambodia in the early 70s. And, I kept thinking of all the similar stories currently being born in the hearts of children in Syrian refugee camps and Sudanese villages, in Taliban ruled parts of Afghanistan and Ukrainian brothels. I wish I knew what good people could do today to put an end to stories like this one once and for all.

All right, here it goes. Confession time.

I could not finish this book. I read through 7 chapters and I was bored to tears. I just couldn't plow through this novel. So, I messaged Sheila and asked her she still wanted me to lead the discussion even though I didn't finish.

So here I am, leading the discussion while not having read the book. This is why I pulled the questions from a separate source. That is not my usual style for leading discussions.

I thought that this would be a book that I would like. I like to read about the world, about history, and to become more knowledgeable about global affairs. I knew nothing (and still know nothing) about the Khmer Rouge, and so, I was excited to learn.

But for me, the narrative didn't work. To me, it felt like a never ending list of what happened. This happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, etc.

I didn't get any sense of a character formed with the narrator nor did anyone else have much of a character. I couldn't connect in any way.

I feel badly for having the reaction that I do, because I know that this was the author's real life. That she captured her experiences in this novel to share with the world. And I feel like I'm being heartless when I say that I just couldn't get into it. I couldn't care. It just bored me. I know that if I were in her shoes, it would be horrible to have someone say the things that I do. I don't know how to balance that -- to have negative opinions here and at the same time try to gentle to and considerate of the author.

Viola, you are so funny! Your post made me laugh. :-)

This is what I love about books. Everyone feels differently about them, everyone takes different things from them. Some love a certain book, others hate a certain book, some can't finish a certain book. I love hearing all opinions, even if they are vastly different than mine.

I just sorted the reviews here on Goodreads for this book, and you are not the only one who didn't like it. There are several well written 1-star reviews for this book, such as these:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

All of these opinions are valid. I love reading them, even though I really liked the writing of this book.

Did anyone else here on Chicks On Lit not like it?

You shouldn't feel bad Viola - we all have things that do or don't resonate with us. I'm positive that we each bring our own narratives (and I do believe these are sometimes age related!) to a story and our tastes are shaped by our life experiences. My experience with my neighbors had a strong influence on how I felt! My high school classmates were being drafted into the Vietnam War. I most likely see this from an entirely different generation. None of us in this group are going to think more or less of you for your reactions!

I second what was said, including Sheila's note that your post, Viola, made me snicker. Actually, it took me a while to get into the book. Initially, I was indifferent to it. A child as a narrator is not my preferred voice. I find that the child narrator is either too limited by their position, or the language is too insightful for the age. But, I did come to get a feel for the various characters through their relationship with the child. And, I did find the story moving for the countless stories it represented to me. I did know something about the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror. I was afraid that we were going to be treated to graphic accounts of torture. I was relieved that we did not have to witness that.

I am halfway through this book. It's a book that I've been picking up and putting down for the last two months. The writing is beautiful but I have not wanted to read about the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror. I'm relieved to know that it does not include graphic accounts. Hoping to finish it in the next week so I can join the discussion.

Well, in my attempt to move the conversation along (without having read it), what was your favorite part (or parts)?

It is hard to name a favorite spot because this book is really a sad story. There is so much death and horror and tragedy. For me it was more of a visceral read, hard to intelligently describe why I liked it, but I just know I am glad to have read it. I felt for Raami, I felt greatly for her mother. To lose your husband, to be separated from all your immediate family except your two daughters, then to have one of your daughter's die in front of you...I cannot imagine her horrors and how she continued on. But she did continue on for her surviving daughter, and she brought them to a new life.

I agree - hard to identify a 'favorite' spot - there are those little rays of hope that have to have given her emotional sustenance. (I'm terrible with remembering names... I apologize.) The bonding and adaptations the family makes in the first village before her father goes away. At one point on their journey of exile they lived in the rice paddies with the couple who were almost pseudo grandparents, or the village with the commander who was in the revolution for the right reasons. What a serious let down when he was executed, but not a surprise. Or the soldier who actually comforted her during the thunderstorm. Those were the little rays of light in an otherwise dark story.

I named my favorite sceen in an earlier post. It was when the mother found the words to explain her greif to Raami and Rammi finally understood how deeply her mother loved her.

I was hoping to have this read but I put it down. I have picked it up again. I have enjoyed it very much. My slight anoyance comes from the fact I do not think the narrator being as young as she is, could capture the intimate hand wrapping scene fully. I think it was a stretch.
I am loving the description.
I had a thought for you about the description Viola. Was it boring for you because there was so much detail and description? Did you feel like the atuhor spelled everthing out? Sometimes when I read and the author spells things out so clearly there is much for the imagination or the chance for ones own thoughts.
My favorite part was the conversations with Rami and her father and weaving in the tale of his story with the perfume and prince tale. I love her fathers telling of about his mistakes with honesty to one so young.

Rebecca - It wasn't the description per se. I don't usually mind descriptions. But I found there to be a lack of a "story", I'm not sure if that makes much sense. To me it felt more like someone just retelling what happened. It's like reading a history book or a wikipedia page. Stories have conflict, whether that be internal or external. And I suppose you could argue that there absolutely was conflict with the Revolutionaries. I have to concede to that, so that's why I have a hard time explaining why I didn't feel like there was a "story."

There has been plenty of reviews both negative and positive, for several reasons. There probably wasn't much of a plot in that respect. Knowing that it was a fictionalized memoir, supposedly because she doubted her ability to tell the details - I wasn't expecting great plot. But for me, there was plenty of story. I found tension in wondering just how each obstacle in their exile was going to be resolved and what terrible thing was going to happen before she could move on. I wasn't for some reason hearing the child's voice. It felt more like I was listening to an adult recalling memories of her childhood. So perhaps some of the precociousness others have criticized didn't bother me. There is admittedly alot of metaphorical fluff to the book, but given the difficult subject that was exactly what I needed to give some relief to the dark subject. It all ok. I know its not everybody's thing. I tend to like serious subjects and rather poetic writing.

Did anyone else know that this was a fictionalized account of the author's life before they read it? I did read the author info at the back of the book before starting the book, so I think I took some of those feelings of "this really happened to her" into my reading of the story. I'm wondering if knowing or not knowing this affected how people thought of the book?

I knew it ahead of time but not from reading ahead in the book. Simply from descriptions, interviews, the general buzz. That's one of the reasons I wanted to read it. It sounded like what my neighbors had suffered. They had a viable business and lost everything to the regime. And then had to escape through wilds and the rice paddies. Threats of torture. Months in refugee camps and being lucky to eventually leave southeast Asia at all. I think knowing that before hand would definitely give the book a different measure of credibility.

Actually, I thought it was a strict memoir of childhood. When we got clear accounts of conversations, I was skeptical that a memoirist could recall such details, especially from childhood. When I read at the end that it was fictionalized, I was more comfortable with it.

Only a small way through it but the descriptions are too jammed packed with metaphors and similes. I am so aware of them, I feel like counting them and so they get in the way of me enjoying the story. I will persevere as it seems some people also had trouble with the beginning.

The over use of metaphors and similies continues through the book.

I liked the book quite a lot. I knew nothing of Cambodian history, and had a vague understanding that the Khmer Rouge were bad people, so I was very interested to learn more about the country and that time period. I've never wanted to see "The Killing Fields," but I will watch it now.

Marsha, I have never seen The Killing Fields either, but have to admit I would be very interested in watching it now.

Marsha - I liked the book a lot too. The metaphors were abundant, but that's her style of telling the story. Its been a long time since I've seen The Killing Fields movie but I remember it as being an emotional experience and leaving a very strong impression. Its one of those things where you are driven to know the history.