THE ROCK IN MY THROAT

Author Yang recounts her experience with selective mutism as a child.

Young Kalia’s Hmong family moved to the United States as refugees. After a cashier treats her mother, who’s still learning English, with disdain, Kalia feels like she has a rock growing in her throat every time she speaks in English (“I don’t want to be like the many people who speak English,” she thinks). Recess is particularly lonely, but she finds solace in the beauty of the natural world. Yang captures the profound isolation, embarrassment, and exhaustion involved in navigating life as an immigrant in a world that isn’t always empathetic. True to the author’s experiences, the protagonist’s challenges are refreshingly unresolved by the conclusion of the story, despite the book ending on a hopeful note. Hmong words are used in the book, and English translations can be found in the glossary; incorporating them into the narrative would have made for a slightly better flow. Nevertheless, Yang’s poetic prose sings in perfect unison with Lin’s gorgeously textured illustrations, rendered in earthy tones. The result is a compelling and heartfelt story that’s bound to resonate with anyone who’s ever struggled to express themselves or be heard. The book is capped with beautiful endpapers that feature repeating symmetrical patterns, reminiscent of those found in traditional Hmong embroidery, each one revealing glimpses of the story inside.

A powerful window into the perspective of a young immigrant.