T. F. Rhoden

The stories featured in Texaners by T F Rhoden offer a unique perspective of life in Texas through the eyes or immigrants, refugees, or first-generation Americans. The author succeeds at developing moving, insightful stories, but the style of prose feels artificial, and is difficult to read. The stories have strong potential, but would benefit from further editing and revision. The author demonstrates strength in descriptors, however the obscure verbs and adjectives used throughout feels forced. The phrasing is also appropriate for a novel in the eighteenth century, rather than one describing the life and interactions among young people today. Again, there is strong potential here, but additional editing and revision is needed.… (more)

This book is a collection of moving essays written for English class by refugees in camps on the Thai border. The introduction and explanatory material provide a concise explanation of Burma’s political evolution since independence.
The book is divided into three sections. The first section contains essays from refugees of the 8888 uprising – August 8, 1988, It is a telling fact that these people are still refugees. The essays in the second section are by refugees from the 2007 uprising – the Saffron Revolution. The essays in these two sections were written by ethnic Burmese.
The third section consists of writings by refugees of other ethnic groups: Karen, Chin, Mon, Arakanese, and Shan. (There were no Kachin present in the camps where the author worked.) The difference in view and experience of these people, many Christian or Muslim, illuminates the complexities of Burmese society. Each group has its unique problems.
For example, since the Shan have traditionally worked on both sides of the border, the Thai government often deports them as economic migrants without giving them the opportunity to establish that they are political refugees. Burmese and other ethnic groups are assumed to be political refugees; hence, Shan political refugees must often lie about their ethnicity to receive asylum.
The book covers the period through the elections of 2010. I had thought that the current developments in Burma might have made this book dated, but instead it serves as a good introduction to a complex situation. And many of the authors of these essays are still refugees in these camps, still living the lives that they describe.… (more)