Burma is rarely mentioned in the literary, book-related context, and we may know almost nothing about their non-political elites, due to a long line of reasons. Thus, when it happens to find some information and books about this country, I simply cannot resist the temptation to delve into the pages, hungry to know more.
Golden Parasol, A Daughter´s Memoirof Burma by Wendy Law-Yone is the perfect introduction into the last century of Burmese history. Her father, Edward Michael Law-Yone leaderd The Nation, Burma´s most influential English language newspaper and later on, after his exile, was a predominant figure in the exile government.
One of the most important part of the book features political and international events that influenced the fate of the country, through characters and personalities that were known to her through his father. Political intrigues and non-political motivations to attack political adversaries are displayed into an extensive game of lights and shadows.
But equally important is the way in which Wendy Law-Yone is reconstructing personal stories, through her own personal experiences, as well as extensive archive research and visits back to the old country.
Thus, the book can be used both as a source of information about Burma, but also as an example of memoir writing and researching. My only frustration was that it was sometimes too cold for a memoir, with a clear exposure of facts in the detriment of the choice of a personal style. However, the ending was a skillful choice, that may beat by far many endings of memoirs I´ve read before.
Golden Parasol made me very curious to explore more about Burma, including through books, but I am even more interested in finding out more about the language and the unique local alphabet.
Rating: 3.5 stars
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