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The Immigrant Princess
Sophea Lim is living the American dream as an aspiring executive producer at her local television station. But at the home she shares with her Cambodian mother and grandmother, her success is measured by how soon she can find a husband and how well she prepares a spring roll. While Sophea embraces her new life in America, her elders cling to memories of their old life in the Cambodian royal family. They continue to live in the shadow of the genocide that killed two million Cambodians, including their husbands. Turmoil erupts when younger sister Ravy encourages Sophea to move out of the house and forsake her cultural responsibility to take care of her elders. Will Sophea abandon the ones she loves most? Can her mother and grandmother find meaning and relevance in their new country? "The Immigrant Princess" is a poignant love story about three generations of spirited women learning to navigate a world that challenges their core values and traditions.
- GenresFiction
222 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2016
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 28, 2017
I picked this up on a whim at the library the last time I visited because it looked cute. And it was! It was nothing really special, and some of the dialogue felt stilted or forced. But overall it was cute, and I learned a fair bit about Cambodian culture and a little about its history. I was able to zoom through it in 2 days / 3 reading sessions.
October 17, 2017
This book spoke to me, as I am the daughter of an Asian immigrant who had to bridge the gap between the "old country" and America. The tension and conflict are so real - the cringe worthy missteps from both sides to the immeasurable love and caring passed from grandmother to mother to young woman. Beautifully told.
June 16, 2021
Wonderful story of the generations of immigrant women coming to grips with life in America and what that means for their culture.
March 31, 2024
Good explanations of Cambodian culture and hisrory, but too much telling, not enough showing.
October 23, 2016
To be honest, I knew the background to this story before I started reading. Variny and I were friends in high school where she taught me about Buddhism - including the fact that there was a Pagoda in our local area - and the story of her family.
Growing up in the DC area in the 1980s meant that almost everyone you knew had some connection to someone who fought in Viet Nam. Variny was one of the first people I met who was directly affected by that war as a child. Learning that she had written a book about her family history, and what it is like to be a survivor, I head to read it.
The truth is that there is very little in this book that I remember from our conversations backstage in the Little Theater. And that is not a bad thing. Rather, this is the story of an adult child coming to grips with being not only a survivor but also a refuge and an American woman all at once. She is careful to be respectful of her ancestry, a trait I remember well in Variny, and to teach those of us reading her story what it is to be Cambodian in America. She also shows the strength in the older generations of women, those who had to leave the familiar behind and learn to live a new life in a new world.
If you have any curiosity in what life is like for one refugee family, pick up The Immigrant Princess and read well the words of someone who has lived the story.
Growing up in the DC area in the 1980s meant that almost everyone you knew had some connection to someone who fought in Viet Nam. Variny was one of the first people I met who was directly affected by that war as a child. Learning that she had written a book about her family history, and what it is like to be a survivor, I head to read it.
The truth is that there is very little in this book that I remember from our conversations backstage in the Little Theater. And that is not a bad thing. Rather, this is the story of an adult child coming to grips with being not only a survivor but also a refuge and an American woman all at once. She is careful to be respectful of her ancestry, a trait I remember well in Variny, and to teach those of us reading her story what it is to be Cambodian in America. She also shows the strength in the older generations of women, those who had to leave the familiar behind and learn to live a new life in a new world.
If you have any curiosity in what life is like for one refugee family, pick up The Immigrant Princess and read well the words of someone who has lived the story.
August 5, 2016
Delightful and educational read!
This book was a pleasure to read, with the relatable storyline, lovable characters and helpful education on Cambodia's recent history (last 50-75 years) blended with Khmer culture. This book also made me want to eat, with all the great descriptions of Asian food!
This book was a pleasure to read, with the relatable storyline, lovable characters and helpful education on Cambodia's recent history (last 50-75 years) blended with Khmer culture. This book also made me want to eat, with all the great descriptions of Asian food!
November 21, 2016
Sooo sweet and funny! I can't wait to meet the author at our book club in a few weeks. I look forward to her sharing with us which parts of this book, if any, were truly part of her own American and Cambodian tales. Good read…
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews