Most are refugees, so although their past trauma is not dwelled upon, (in fact it’s more often than not pushed away), it does shape them and their reactions to their new surroundings. Men, women, children, and adults act as narrators so we can see all facets of their experience. There are 14 stories in this collection, most of them focusing on immigrants and refugees who are new to North America their struggles, triumphs, celebrations and challenges- a whole range of emotions can be found within these pages. In fact, this book is powerful because of what’s been left out, the things that are left unsaid between its characters and their various struggles. It’s beautifully written and doesn’t include anything more than it has to. This is a slim little book, but that’s not surprising considering how carefully each word has been chosen. It’s rare that a collection of short stories appears on an award list like this, but I’m glad to see the genre is increasing in popularity! My theory is that people have shorter attention spans with the stress of the current pandemic, so short fiction is the medicine we all need right now. Interestingly, it’s a collection of short stories, written by a poet. How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa most recently appeared on the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, and we’ll find out on October 5 if it makes it to the shortlist.

How do you pronounce knife