Souvankham Thammavongsa was born in a refugee camp, to Laotian parents, and raised in Toronto. ‘Picking Worms’ is from her debut short story collection, which is infused with stories about loneliness, alienation, the hierarchies that beset an immigrant family trying to find their place in a new society. It brings a contemporary lens to the immigrant story as well as authenticity. I admire the political edge, the social commentary and the humour.
At times, ‘Picking Worms’ was an excruciating read. It must have been the worms, which I generally like. The story typifies the grunt work that immigrants often have to undertake.
First published in How to Pronounce Knife, Bloomsbury 2020
A Personal Anthology 