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Frontier Mosaic: Voices of Burma from the Lands In Between Review

Everybody should read this book. The more awareness there is of this little-noticed tragedy, the sooner the sufferers' plight can be alleviated. People are undergoing tribulations now, today, at this moment. Hey, who knows where Burma or Myanmar are? I've never even heard of these tribes, why should I care about the people? Because they are people.

Real people, little people, the kind who don't make headlines but make up the vast majority of humanity. Here are ordinary people trying to live their lives through extraordinary tribulations. They earn our respect and should have our support.

Parts of the book are very funny; for that matter, I am sure the people portrayed here would be glad to have us laughing with them. I would have liked to see them better: the photos in the book are little better than snapshots.

Unfortunately, the author does not write well, and his punctuation is worse. Commas can save the reader a lot of backtracking to figure out where a sentence leads. Perhaps the author tries to do too much. The book is full of awkward sentences. "She married at the age of twenty - to and these are her words - a jobless man.'" (The quote is closed, but not opened.)

"Fire changed all that deliberately set by Thai authorities, or so the rumor mill says and now Mae Sot's 'port' is an ugly homage to the mystical essence of concrete." That is one of the worst English sentences I have ever read, including assignments by my Beginning English students.

"'It is too dangerous for my family,' she pleads with evident feeling, leaving no doubt that she is a potential target and that the baleful notion of collective responsibility looms large with those who would harm her." I still can't figure out what that is supposed to say.

"On to the sides, high crags topped with stands of bamboo forest hovered, while much more greenery than further south took hold."

Here lurk grammar mistakes: "By observing the proper rituals, the hated white man would finally face comeuppance." Don't dangle. "In their isolated redoubt, the small force, whomever was charge, began to have marked success against the Burmese Army." Whoever, not whomever.

The author refers to "female Russian women." Female women: the very best kind, no? "It wasn't free and I would still have to pay." Yes, if something isn't free, you have to pay.

Mystical essence of concrete and hovering stands of forest, in this book you can find it all. The author's concern is laudable, his writing execrable. But don't let that stand in your way. Do read this book. Maybe if enough people are aware of how things stand, the situation may be alleviated. The sooner the better.

Frontier Mosaic: Voices of Burma from the Lands In Between Overview

Damning indictment of Burma?s abuse of its citizens and Thailand?s official apathy to the plight of Burmese refugees as recounted by first-hand accounts and the author?s own observations as he traveled the length of the Thai-Burma border.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 23, 2010 14:34:04