How to Pronounce Knife
Stories
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How to Pronounce Knife
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Narrated by:
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James Tang
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Kulap Vilaysack
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Written by:
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Souvankham Thammavongsa
About this listen
WINNER OF THE 2020 SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE
WINNER OF THE 2021 TRILLIUM BOOK AWARD
FINALIST FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD, the PEN AMERICA OPEN BOOK AWARD, and the DANUTA GLEED AWARD
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Named one of Time's Must-Read Books of 2020, and featuring stories that have appeared in Harper's, Granta, The Atlantic, and The Paris Review, this revelatory book of fiction from O. Henry Award winner Souvankham Thammavongsa establishes her as an essential new voice in Canadian and world literature. Told with compassion and wry humour, these stories honour characters struggling to find their bearings far from home, even as they do the necessary "grunt work of the world."
A young man painting nails at the local salon. A woman plucking feathers at a chicken processing plant. A father who packs furniture to move into homes he'll never afford. A housewife learning English from daytime soap operas. In her stunning Giller Prize-winning debut book of fiction, Souvankham Thammavongsa focuses on characters struggling to make a living, illuminating their hopes, disappointments, love affairs, acts of defiance, and above all their pursuit of a place to make their own. In spare, intimate prose charged with emotional power and a sly wit, she paints an indelible portrait of watchful children, wounded men, and restless women caught between cultures, languages, and values. As one of Thammavongsa's characters says, "All we wanted was to live." And in these stories, they do—brightly, ferociously, unforgettably.
A daughter becomes an unwilling accomplice in her mother's growing infatuation with country singer Randy Travis. A former boxer finds a chance at redemption while working at his sister's nail salon. A school bus driver must grapple with how much he's willing to give up in order to belong. And in the title story, a young girl's unconditional love for her father transcends language.
Tender, uncompromising, and fiercely alive, How to Pronounce Knife establishes Souvankham Thammavongsa as one of the most important voices of her generation.
What the critics say
2020, Scotiabank Giller Prize, Winner
2021, Trillium Book Award, Winner
"How to Pronounce Knife is a book of rarest beauty and power. Souvankham Thammavongsa has already earned a devoted readership for her poetry. And in each of these exquisitely crafted stories, we experience the profound emotional effects of economy and distillation. We feel the reverberating energy around each judiciously placed word. This is one of the great short story collections of our time. Do not miss it." (David Chariandy, author of Brother and I've Been Meaning to Tell You)
"Souvankham Thammavongsa writes with deep precision, wide-open spaces, and quiet, cool, emotionally devastating poise. There is not a moment off in these affecting stories." (Sheila Heti, author of How Should a Person Be? and Motherhood)
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The Audlib Project
- Home 2020
- Written by: Gil Adamson, David Bergen, Emily St. John Mandel, and others
- Narrated by: Gil Adamson, David Bergen, Emily St. John Mandel, and others
- Length: 29 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 28
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 25
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Story4 out of 5 stars 25
In celebration of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists, Audible is illuminating the art of storytelling with a unique work, The Audlib Project. This Audible Original is an ad-lib collaborative short story, written collectively by all of the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize finalists: Gil Adamson (Ridgerunner), David Bergen (Here the Dark), Shani Mootoo (Polar Vortex), Emily St. John Mandel (The Glass Hotel), and Souvankham Thammavongsa (How to Pronounce Knife).
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5 out of 5 stars
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Totally unique
- By warmashes on 2021-03-21
The 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize Audlib Project
A single rose bush in a courtyard serves as the centerpiece for a sequence of stories of vastly different lives with unexpected connections. A young girl dares to test her limits of safety, a woman is pained by a tragic loss and the stigma she now carries because of it, and a neighbour wishes for connection and understanding in a deeply divided time. An expat yearns to be closer to her treasured family members, and a café owner grapples with the changes that gradually eat away at her in small but significant ways.
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Featured Article: Outstanding Female Authors Everyone Ought to Listen to
Throughout history, women have crafted some of the most incredible and beloved stories in the world. From rising stars to household names, female authors have contributed some of the best works of all time for our listening pleasure. At times, especially in societies where gender roles and expectations were rigidly defined, women would write under pen names to avoid the fact that a woman was behind the work. Discover the best female authors.
What listeners say about How to Pronounce Knife
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2020-12-31
Amazing book!
One of the best books I’ve listened to! Great personal stories, a good insight to some people’s lives. I would highly suggest!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Montrealer
- 2021-05-29
Some good, some not so engaging
I found the stories to be a mix of intriguing and so-so. The transition between some stories wasn't clear either. Was an ok read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Leanne Fournier
- 2023-06-01
Deep hearted stories.
The writing was spell binding. A worthy Giller win that takes us inside the world of those new to new to places and experiences many of us take for granted . I was struck by the humility of so many of the characters who were afraid to ask for more but stood resolutely in who they were and where they came from. A brilliant informative book all Canadians should read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Nora Ohanjanians
- 2020-12-12
Slim Volume - Deep Reach
A short story collection about the little guy. The immigrant, the marginalized, the unnoticed. Souvankham Thammavongsa delves into their world, with unique compassion, understanding and humour. She doesn't sentimentalize, use dramatic language or flamboyant characters. Her stories are ordinary, her characters reserved and her language economical. Yet she packs a powerful punch with each story with characters that are resilient, persevere and yes, sometimes score small victories. She's a skillful writer with a microscopic vision of the human nature. Check out her poetry collection, Small Arguments, and her website souvankham.thammavongsa.com
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah Morgan
- 2021-08-18
moving and eye opening
I loved this book and read it fairly quickly. Touches on sensitive topics that are rarely if ever discussed. very raw. Incites a lot of reflection.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Len
- 2020-11-22
So Disappointing
This collection of short stories was such a disappointing read. The writing was so simplistic and still surprised this is the best of Canadian fiction for 2020. Sad.
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3 people found this helpful