Kenneth Wong

A Prayer for Burma is the account of a Burmese-American who travels back to Burma (now Myanmar). In the opening, he says, " . . . returning to my motherland, just as an estranged son would to the mother he left behind, I hoped to get a better understanding of this colorful cultural mandala that was" part "of my identity." He then takes us along on his fascinating travels, sharing what he sees, what he thinks and what he feels. While this description might sound fairly direct and simple, the show more process and product are anything but. The author struggles to understand what any foreigner might, but he also struggles to settle feelings that only a foreigner who looks like the locals might need to do. And he willingly opens himself through his honest writing so that we benefit from his struggles, his defeats and his triumphs. Having just returned from Myanmar I can say that many of his insights still seemed valid in late 2004 and proved helpful during my trip. The scare about the planes, however, is somewhat dated, though I'd still stick with the private airlines (the government airline does tend to slam into the ground a bit too often). One thing to keep in mind while reading the book is that there is no such thing as The Burmese. The experience of different tribes can be vastly different. Hence, don't generalize beyond what is written about any particular person. Yes, everyone wants more freedom, but the most oppressed groups have it harder, see fewer opportunities and are likely to give very different responses when asked about things. show less