Samu - Shamu: The Sonam Stories: Narratives of Childhood in Bhutan

by Suzie Sims-Fletcher

On a remote campus in the Black Mountains of the Himalayas, students at the Institute of Language and Culture Studies, Royal University of Bhutan, were asked to recall stories of their childhoods. Suzie Sims-Fletcher, their English lopen, taught them how to move from the oral tradition in Dzonghka to written composition in English. These selected tales are at once uniquely provincial yet poignantly universal. The collection offers striking memories of family and community, learning and growth, illness and death, tradition and celebration.An adaptable lesson guide to the story project (ESL, listening skills, writing), glossary of Dzongkha words and phrases, as well as vibrant full color photos of Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon, round out the 156 pages.Whether you are a tourist, teacher, or culture collector, Samu-Shamu: The Sonam Stories, captures the mist and earth of this magical kingdom in the sky.

Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2015

Reviews

[Junio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened this book. This is not usually my genre (hence the four stars), but since a friend of mine recommended it I thought I’d give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. The stories transported me to another time and another place – Bhutan, a country that I know almost nothing about. It was a really easy and enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone who loves to travel and is curious about other cultures and languages.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Samu–Shamu: The Sonam Stories, Narratives of Childhood in Bhutan are stories written from childhood memories by students in Bhutan for an assignment by the author. It is a representation of final projects created by first year students in the author’s 2012 Academic Skills classes at ILCS (Institute for Language and Culture Studies, Royal University of Bhutan). It also documents the change in culture due to the introduction of technology and exposure to international influences (including the import of goods, availability of entertainment, and opportunities to travel).

One of my favorite aspects of this book is all of the photographs of the people of Bhutan. It gives insight into their economy, careers, fashion, architecture, religious celebrations, food, and overall culture. I found myself eagerly flipping through the pages to see more to better understand the book and the Bhutanese.

I think Samu–Shamu is a hard book to read all in one sitting, but it is written through narratives in a way that makes it easy to jump from one story to another without feeling like you are missing anything. All in all, this isn’t my personal cup of tea, as I do not gravitate towards non-fiction in my spare time. But even though it’s of a genre I tend not to read very often, I found myself enjoying this book. It gets a solid 3 out of 5 stars from me. I’d probably recommend Samu–Shamu to educators, as it has a more academic-bent to it. But whoever you are, it definitely won’t hurt to read it; you may even walk away a better person for having read it.

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[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

From this book, you can have a peek at the Bhutanese culture since all of the stories are written by native Bhutanese. You get to see the true color of their lifestyles, family relationships, and even just daily scenes. But overall, I would say this book is more education-oriented, it's not traditional kinds of travel essay. But still, if you're interested in Bhutanese culture or if you're an ESL teacher, this book would be a good fit for you!

[Suzie Sims-Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little bit travelogue, a little bit culture, the reader discovers nuances of Bhutan from stories written by students.