Nomad, Nomad

by Jonan Pilet

In his debut short story collection, Jonan Pilet explores the lives of Mongols and expats, looking for a sense of home within the nomadic culture. Based on the author’s insights having grown up in Mongolia, the series of interlinked narratives capture the cultural turmoil Mongolia experienced after the fall of the Soviet Union, painting a vivid picture of Mongol landscapes, Western interactions, and the rise of cultural tensions.

An orphaned Mongolian girl lives in the sewers of Ulaanbaatar. An American boy falls in love with a Mongolian girl who has committed patricide. A group of nomadic traders are stuck in a blizzard in the Mongolian steppe. In these eleven stories, Western misconceptions of Mongolia are dispelled as home is discovered to be a transcultural human need.

Genres: Fiction

Paperback

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

Jonan Pilet spent his childhood abroad in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. He studied writing at Houghton College, the University of Oxford, and received his Master of Fine Arts at Seattle Pacific University.

Pilet is a journalist currently residing in Upstate New York. He has a passion for traveling and telling stories about people the world rarely sees.

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mongolia is a nation for which few have had the privilege of traveling and, even fewer, the privilege of living. This collection of stories allows the reader to they, themselves, take on a nomadic wandering of the land and culture through versions of the author's lived experiences and fantastical accounts. Mongolia's beauty is complex. Much like the region's famous overtone throat singing, these stories are unique and express an almost other-worldly quality that evoke feelings of mystical wonder. The skillful interweaving of characters both Mongol and foreign and their lives, loves, and deaths craft a modern-day folklore that leaves the reader craving a deeper understanding of this remote and remarkable land.

[Hilary (Melted Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the author's voice in this collection. Jonan Pilet can clearly create mood and tone. I thought this was a strong debut, but I often felt that these stories were better suited for a stronger narrative. I would love to read more of this author in a longer format.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't blind yourself cleaning your eye.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege of reading the earliest versions of many of these stories and watched as the author honed them and reworked them in order to convey the depth of emotion and sensitivity you see in this collection. I am a biased reader, but I am an avid reader and this is a collection not to be missed.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a debut collection of stories, this is really impressive. All the stories were really tightly constructed with a lot of tension and the characters vivid and real. As a window into a set of characters and situations in Mongolia, this was also really interesting. I was completely absorbed in the worlds that Jonan Pilet created here.

With that said, this collection is really very dark. Almost every story included death and violence and I was reminded of Flannery O'Connor's technique of taking characters right up through a transformative moment of violence that is also an act of grace. If I could wish anything here it would be for there to be more ordinary moments of grace for the characters. I would have liked to see a few more slice-of-life moments in Mongolia beyond the scenes of dramatic action.

I'm looking forward to reading more work by Pilet and seeing how his career as a writer develops.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were by far the most interesting short stories I read this year. Each story is a little bit more shocking than the next and is so rich with imagery and emotion. Really transports you to Mongolia. Easy to fall in love with these characters and keep caring about them far after you have finished the book. Hard to stop thinking about these stories and how differently these characters live from myself in the Western world.

[Abby Harrelson-Munkittrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this down! Very vivid stories- can’t wait for more from this author!