Rattawut Lapcharoensap was born in Chicago, raised in Thailand, and as an emerging writer, has written  a terrific book of short stories based in Thailand, Sightseeing (2005, ISBN 0-8021-1788-0).

The title is based on the story of a young man and his mother, who’s taking perhaps the last vacation she can visually enjoy, as her sight is failing. As with the other six stories in the book, it is told in the first person.  Ruttawut was 25 years old when he completed the book, and has a wonderfully canny feel for his personae: a young Thai man, a Thai adolescent, a young Thai girl, an aging western expat debilitated by a stroke.

Each tale oozes poignancy and subtly lambastes hypocrisy, whether it is Thai racism, western hubris, or the classic vices of gambling and corruption. Here at WoWasis, our favorites were Priscilla the Cambodian, the story of a poor immigrant girl with a mouth full of gold teeth, and Don’t Let Me Die in This Place, in which a cranky western stroke victim attempts to make peace with the fact that he’s come to die in a foreign land, living with his son’s Thai wife and their children.

The book’s such a delight that we’re wondering what Rattawut’s next writing project will be. Sightseeing is good enough for now, and highly recommended for its social insight, writing craft, and exceptional storytelling. Buy it now at the WoWasis estore, powered by Amazon.