Land of My Childhood: Stories from South Asia

by Clare West (Retold by)

My brother preferred being with mother and me. He used to help us prepare vegetables in the kitchen or make the bread. But what he liked best was listening to my mother's stories.' But those childhood days are long gone, and sister and brother, mother and children are now far apart.

The stories in this volume of World Stories come from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The writers are Romesh Gunesekera, M. Athar Tahir, Chitra Divakaruni, Anu Kumar, Anne Ranasinghe, Ruskin Bond, Anita Desai, Vijita Fernando, and Amara Bavani Dev.

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2009

About the author

Clare West has over twenty years of TEFL classroom experience in the UK and abroad, and has led teacher workshops in Europe and South America. Associated with Cambridge examination courses, she became a freelance author, contributing to Oxford Bookworms and Dominoes and serving as Series Editor for Oxford Bookworms Playscripts.

Reviews

[Shaimaa شيماء · Rating 3 out of 5]

مجموعة قصص قصيرة من جنوب آسيا..
من القصص اللي عجبتني:

قصة الطفل الشقي اللي عاوز يطفش زوجة أبيه، بس الست كانت ذكية وعندها ثبات انفعالي ومقدرش يستفزها..

وقصة الأب الفقير اللي ربى ابنه لغاية لما بأه دكتور كبير مشهور، بس لما الأب كبر والابن بدأ يمنعه من الاكلات اللي بتضره، الأب كان بيشتكيه لصحابه وبيقول مانعني من الأكل كله..

وقصة المفتش اللي كان بيدور على المدرسة فاكتشف إنها عبارة عن مدرس وشوية اطفال قاعدين تحت شجرة، بس مستواهم أحسن بكتير من مدارس فعلية، والمدرس كل اللي عاوزه إنه يلاقي أوضة بس يعملها فصل، لأن الأهالي مش عاوزة عيالها تتعلم ومش عاوزين يساعدوا لكن المفتش مقدرش يعمله حاجة لأن الوزارة برضه مش عاوزة تكاليف..

وآخر قصة كانت قصة حزينة لراجل فقير اقنعه صاحبه يبيع كليته ويكسب فلوس.

[Hanh My · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories that engrave deeply the cultures from some Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka,...

It gives peace to my mind 'cause all the stories are something that happens in Asia every day

[Gabriel Hawkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se trata de un compendio de nueve historias ficticias muy breves, perteneciente a la colección 'Oxford Bookworms', cuyo principal propósito es ayudar a una mejor preparación en cuanto a la comprensión lectora del inglés, sobre todo, destinado a learners cuyo nivel corresponde a CEFR B1 — B2.

Me ha fascinado el hecho de tratarse de stories provenientes de diferentes países del continente asiático, como Sri Lanka, Pakistán o India, escritas, a su vez, por diversos autores/as, puesto que aún no he profundizado demasiado en relatos/novelas ambientadas en Oriente. Pese a que son historias de apenas cinco páginas, son muy entretenidas, con un vocabulario muy asequible, que te hacen reflexionar en diversos momentos de la lectura. Además, al finalizar cada uno de los relatos, podremos encontrar un glosario, así como actividades para realizar tanto antes como después de la lectura, y una pequeña biografía acerca de cada uno de los autores/as, lo cual siempre es un plus para quien esté preparándose algún examen o simplemente, quiera leer este libro por puro placer sin perder de vista sus nociones de English, lo cual recomiendo muy mucho.

Es evidente que sabe a poco, dada su brevedad, pero sobre todo porque algunas historias son tan buenas, que te gustaría que fuese más larga.

Los títulos que se podrán encontrar son: 'Carapace', 'The Inspector of Schools', 'The Intelligence of Wild Things', 'The Kite-maker', 'The Stepmother', 'The Night Train at Deoli', 'A Devoted Son', 'Missiya, the Wild One' (mi favorito) y 'For a Horseshoe Nail'. A simple vista, parecen títulos normales y corrientes, para las historias, en sí, son muy buenas e intensas.

[pier63 · Rating 1 out of 5]

16,937語

[沙綾 須長 · Rating 2 out of 5]

-Oxford University, level4.
-Time: 1/15=45minutes 1/16=60minutes
-7 words summary: Anura,Amma, marriage, Vijay, sea,call, Australia
-Discussion questions;
1. Amma who is the mother of main character have been tried to make her daughter marry with a rich man although the daughter loves other man. If you are the daughter, which man do you choose?
-I will choose the man who I love. Because I want to have happy life with dear forever.

2. Vijay is a cook at the Beach Hut, and he likes to see his food eaten by other people. Which do you like eating or seeing your food eaten by other people?
-Of course, I like eating!!! People cannot live without eating.

[Tsering · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the stories despite being familiar with the issues and conflicts in those parts of the world. All the authors have wrote it well and yet each has covered distinct sentiment of human emotions.

Best part: It could be a great assignment book in schools.

Could have been better: There is something that the collection of stories lacks. May be I think its with the abrupt endings of most stories. It left me overwhelmed in not so good ways. I would say it kept me hanging like there is still something left to read.

[aljouharah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book, actually the stories were boring and not interesting as what we know from Indian stories !
It is all about man or women who fall in love and if their love ends by marriage or not !
Yet there are good story, : the inspector of schools, it is not wow , yet acceptable ...
Maybe I was waiting for better blot since I knew it is about India, yet it good to improve your vocabulary :)

[Angela Franco · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first reding in English. The book it's a collection of short stories easy to read for second language learners. Not the best book, neither my favorite but it was ok for a reading exercise.

[Truong Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple but moving short stories.

[Ashish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible story collection. Other than 1-2, all stories are endless, confusing, and not of a good taste. In fact title is wrong as well. Maybe some may like it, for me mostly it was a time waste.

[Hannane Meghdadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't remember wheather i was 15 or 13 or even 10 when i bought it. But i read it now that i'm almost 19 :))
Nice short stories with asian theme.