A review by sofiercely
Put It On Record: A Memoir-archive by Sokunthary Svay

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

PUT IT ON RECORD by Sokunthary Svay is not just a book; it’s a concerto. Or an opera. Or a really cool mix tape by the older sister you always wanted. Whichever genre you enjoy listening to - it’s that one but MORE.

Her poems set the tempo, quick to dive deep into what it means to be Cambodian-American, bursting with imagery, humor (“Good Luck, Homey” is a fav 😂😂😂), and the gravity of life after genocide. 

The essays are interludes that provide sweeping context, like the sound of violins moving and lifting you out of your shoes and whirling you back in time. Bring a pen and notebook when you visit the past; take them notes.

The short stories are legato and fluid, ranging from Khmer mythology, to Sokunthary Svay’s own experience as a first time mom battling postpartum depression. 

The final 2 chapters of the book, “Cambodian Mixtape: From Generation Loss to Regeneration” and  “CODA”  highlight fellow Cambodian Americans who connect with Khmer history and culture through music, and how Sinn Sisamouth, the legendary Cambodian singer- songwriter connects us, reflects us, beckons us. 

It is humbling, then humorous. It is somber, then solace. It is excruciating, then encouragement. It is all the things I wish I had known years ago, but I didn’t know, as I had no one to guide me. “In Search of Cambodia(ns)” is uncovering gold; she has excavated such precious Cambodian and Cambodian American history in this piece. (Googling history can only take us so far, fam 😆)

But now I don’t have to search as hard, because now I can read and reread this book… I hope you do too. 

Thank you kindly to Willow Books for a digital copy of this book.