Smile as they Bow

By Nu Nu Yi Inwa and Nu Nu Yi

Book Overview

As the weeklong Taungbyon Festival draws near, thousands of villagers from all regions of Burma descend upon a tiny hamlet near Mandalay to pay respect to the spirits, known as nats , which are central to Burmese tradition. At the heart of these festivities is Daisy Bond, a gay, transvestite spiritual medium in his fifties. With his sharp tongue and vivid performances, he has long been revered as one of the festival's most illustrious natkadaws . At his side is Min Min, his young assistant and lover, who endures unyielding taunts and abuse from his fiery boss. But when a young beggar girl named Pan Nyo threatens to steal Min Min's heart, the outrageous Daisy finds himself face-to-face with his worst fears. Written in lyrical, intoxicating prose, Smile as They Bow is, like the works of Arundhati Roy and Ha Jin, an unexpectedly whimsical, illuminating, and above all revealing portrayal of a culture few Westerners have ever witnessed. Over the past twenty years, Nu Nu Yi has become one of Burma's most acclaimed authors -- and in 2007, she became the first person living in Burma to be nominated for an international literary award. Smile as They Bow was censored for more than twelve years by the Burmese government. It is fitting, then, that this is her American debut.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1401303374
• ISBN13: 9781401303372
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Hyperion
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 5.5"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Gay in Burma

Yi, Nu Nu. "Smile as They Bow". Hyperion, 2008. Gay in Burma Amos Lassen "Smile as They Bow" has received much acclaim in Burmese and now it is finally available in translation and we can see what all of the talk has been about. Written by Nu Nu Yi and translated by Thi Thi Aye and Alfred Birnbaum, the story is about the weeklong Taungbyon Festival when thousands from all over Burma go to the tiny town of Mandalay to visit with and pay respect to the spirits known as "nats". "Nats" are a central idea in Burmese tradition. In the midst of the festivities is Daisy Bond, a transvestite spiritual medium in his fifties. He is vibrant and has a vivid performance and a sharp tongue. His reputation is solid as one of the most famous and illustrious of the media in Burma. His young assistant, Min Min is at his side always and is also his lover. He is subject to Daisy's tantrums and abuse bur he loves his master so that he cannot leave. However a young beggar girl, Pan Nyo, threatens to steal his heart and Daisy is forced to face the fact that she may lose him as well as accept his own age. The book is a pleasure to read. It is witty and lyrical and also gives us a peek into the culture of Burma that many of us know nothing about. "Smile as They Bow" was censored for more than twelve years in Burma by the government and the author is one of Burma's most famous and the winner if an international award in literature. Through her eyes we get a bit of a look at the gay subculture in her country.