Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers - by Lois-Ann Yamanaka (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Her name is Lovey Nariyoshi, and her Hawai'i is not the one of leis, pineapple, and Magnum P.I. In the blue collar town of Hilo, on the Big Island, Lovey and her eccentric Japanese-American family are at the margins of poverty, in the midst of a tropical paradise. With her endearing, effeminate best friend Jerry, Lovey suffers schoolyard bullies, class warfare, Singer sewing classes, and the surprisingly painful work of picking on a macadamia nut plantation, all while trying to find an identity of her own. At once a bitingly funny satire of haole happiness and a moving meditation on what is real, if ugly at times, but true, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers crackles with the language of pidgin--Hawai'i Creole English--distinguishing one of the most vibrant voices in contemporary culture.

Stories from this enduring novel have been adapted into the film Fishbowl, by groundbreaking director Kayo Hatta.

Review Quotes

"A rare book--Exuberant, fresh-voiced, rich, crazy and stabbing, comic and as true-toned as a crystal glass taped with a knife." --E. Annie Proulx

"Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers has power and charm. A bold and skillful combination of languages . . . [it] belongs on the shelf near Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye." --Literary Supplement Quarterly

"Yamanaka's voice is clear and distinct, capturing the people and events in sensitive and exciting language. . . . An important and memorable debut." --San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle

"Yamanaka, true to her poet's ear, communicates the luminous dignity of the language [pidgin]. . . . Because of Yamanaka's uncompromising skill at evoking the special flavor of Hawaiian life, Lovey, Jerry, Hubert--even no-good Larry--are some of the most vivid characters to spring off a page in recent memory." --Time Out New York

"Funky and vibrant . . . A coming-of-age tale of exceeding charm." --Elle

About the Author

Lois-Ann Yamanaka has written a book of poetry, three prior works of fiction, and a young-adult novel. She has won a Lannan Literary Award and an American Book Award. She lives in Honolulu.