The Rock in My Throat
By Kao Kalia Yang and Jiemei Lin
4.5/5
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About this ebook
At first, no one noticed when I stopped talking at school.
In this moving true story, Kao Kalia Yang shares her experiences as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day. Although the narrative is somber, it is also infused with moments of beauty, love, and hope.
This is a story for anyone who has ever struggled to find their voice.
Kao Kalia Yang
Kao Kalia Yang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and came to America at the age of six. She is the author of The Latehomecomer, The Song Poet, Yang Warriors, and most recently, Where Rivers Part. She also coedited What God Is Honored Here? and is the author of a collective memoir about refugee lives called Somewhere in the Unknown World. Find out more at KaoKaliaYang.com.
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Reviews for The Rock in My Throat
12 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A beautiful illustrative book addresing serious problem and author's experience in school as an immigrant with English as a second language that develops selective mutism and how she isolated herself. It has a Poetic style writing and you get to experience the emotions of author. Thank you for sharing your story kalia i am sure this book will not only help children but also adult to be aware and maybe identify this issue with children's in there life be it their kids or students.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book was very interesting, a little sad, and a true story. It is about a young, immigrant girl, who stopped speaking. Particularly she stop speaking English. She sees how hard her mother has it trying to learn English and get around in an English world , when she doesn’t speak English. And her little act of rebellion of not speaking English lasted for decades. This book doesn’t have a happy ending, and it doesn’t tell you how to stop this behavior. It says this is me and this is how I was feeling. The way to help other children in similar situations feel seen. to feel that they’re not alone in their immigration status or their language barriers.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It is terrifying to be in a world where your attempts to speak their language is most often unintelligible to the others. Kind of like when I try to speak NyNorsk or Hmong. It is why immigrants say that they don't speak the English. But most often they do understand the spoken (or written) words. This young person simply stopped speaking (except at home) and felt a great sadness for all those who had much difficulty with the English. It is a book which helps to learn acceptance. Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your local public library!
The illustrations by Jiemei Lin are clear, simple, muted colors, and meaningful.
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Books ® via NetGalley. Thank you!
Jul 30, 2021 · The St. Paul-Minneapolis metropolitan area is home to 70,000 Hmong, while about 30,000 to 40,000 Hmong live in California. Hmong refugees from Laos make up 10 percent of the population of Wausau, Wisconsin.