The Outer Country - by Davin Malasarn (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In this tender, elegant debut novel, a queer child from a Thai immigrant family must ask himself how much he is willing to forsake and what he is willing to forgive in order to keep his family together. In Phet Buri, 1972, a teenaged Manda Sulakorn overhears her parents whispering that they will be sending one of their girls to the Outer Country - to America. As the eldest, and protector of her younger siblings, she assumes it will be her. But to her great shock, it is Siripon, the perfect, obedient second sister, who will be bound for Los Angeles. With one parental choice, the sisters become rivals. After years of cool separation across continents, it is Siripon's son, Ben, who brings them back together. Though Manda intends to visit Monterey Park for only a year, she decides to stay as she becomes a second mother to Ben, who fills her with fierce joy. As the child grows increasingly effeminate, her joy turns to worry. Believing that a spirit of a young woman has attached itself to her beloved nephew - and that her sister won't do what has to be done - Manda arranges a Theravadan exorcism in secret. The ceremony culminates in a ritual purge that sets off a decade of anxiety-induced vomiting, with Ben becoming known as "Puke Boy" at school, even as his memory of the ritual fades into early childhood oblivion. As Ben grows into his own queer self-becoming, he must confront the scars of his exorcism and learn how to live amidst the family damage, where one has to tread softly. When Manda and Siripon's husband fall into a clumsy affair, their betrayal becomes another silence to keep as well. But how long can a family go on with secrets so large pressing on their chests? From Phet Buri banana groves to a modest stucco bungalow in Monterey Park to the ivy and sandstone quadrangles of Stanford, The Outer Country is at once epic and intimate in scope, a breathtaking journey across borders and generations"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

This tender, elegant debut examines the struggle of holding a family together when secrets threaten to unravel it.

"Both a book of demons and a book of uncommon grace; an instant classic in the queer canon. Davin Malasarn is an exquisite writer of the heart."--Justin Torres, author of Blackouts

Sisters Manda and Siripon have been divided by continents for years, estranged since their parents decided to send just one of their daughters from Phet Buri to America--the foreign land they call "the Outer Country." As the eldest, Manda assumed she would be the first to go. When their parents chose Siripon, the more obedient second daughter, the decision sparked a lifetime of rivalry.

The birth of Siripon's son brings the sisters back together. Despite the disorientation of Los Angeles and the difficulty of sharing her sister's home, Manda becomes a second mother to Ben, a precocious only child who fills her with fierce joy. But as Ben grows increasingly effeminate, her joy transforms to fear. Believing that the spirit of a dead girl has possessed her beloved nephew--and that her sister won't do anything to fix matters--Manda and Ben's father, Kamron, secretly arrange a Buddhist exorcism. The ceremony sets off a decade of anxiety-induced illness and bullying, even as the ritual burrows beyond Ben's memory.

For Ben to grow into his authentic self, he must accept his queerness and confront the scars of his past. He attempts to navigate his family's tense relationships and live amidst the damage. But how long can they all go on before the truths are uncovered?

From the mangrove forests of Thailand to a modest stucco house in Los Angeles to the sandstone quadrangles of Stanford, The Outer Country is at once epic and intimate in scope, a breathtaking journey across cultures and generations.

Review Quotes

"What does it cost a family to cross an ocean--and who pays the price for generations to come? That is the quietly devastating question at the heart of Davin Malasarn's debut novel . . . A story about inheritance, silence, and the slow, difficult work of self-becoming . . . The Outer Country is a book about what we inherit, what we survive, and what it takes to finally tell the truth."--Debutiful

"Haunting, gentle, gorgeously composed, here is both a book of demons and a book of uncommon grace; an instant classic in the queer canon. Davin Malasarn is an exquisite writer of the heart."--Justin Torres, author of Blackouts

"With tenderness and empathy, The Outer Country weaves an intricate and delicate tapestry of lives across space and time, plumbing the complexity of familial relationships, the choices we grapple with, and the stories that precede and shape us."--K-Ming Chang, author of Bestiary

"The ritual at the heart of this story reveals the complex nature of love that we are all capable of giving, receiving, and shunning. Nourishing gardens, dark family secrets, and an intense coming-of-age are elegantly crafted in Malasarn's evocative and emotionally precise debut."--Marytza Rubio, author of Maria, Maria: And Other Stories

"The opening pages of Malasarn's debut promise an empathetic read about siblings, place, and queer identity. He writes with lush prose that wraps readers up."--Debutiful

"The Outer Country is a moving exploration of love's imperfect paths. Malasarn turns the immigrant's tale inside out. The acts of survival in this story rupture the lives of its characters, by stifling the human experience."--Alejandro Varela, author of Middle Spoon

"From its stark opening to its pitch-perfect ending, Malasarn's empathetic yet unsentimental novel follows the members of an immigrant family in their attempts to negotiate both life in America and their conflicting needs for love. . . . An impressively sure-handed debut."--David Gates, author of Jernigan

"Malasarn, a Thai American writer, deftly explores divergent cultural norms in Thailand and the U.S. (aka 'the Outer Country'), especially when it comes to sexuality . . . The book is more winningly subtle when it comes to matters of spirituality, exploring how religious conviction can have powerful and long-lasting physical effects."--Kirkus Reviews

"Affecting . . . Malasarn delicately explores the theme of leading a double life . . . an accomplished family drama."--Publishers Weekly

"[A] stunning debut . . . Malasarn's spellbinding novel contemplates what it means to be family, even when secrets threaten to tear you apart."--Booklist

About the Author

Davin Malasarn was born and raised in Southern California. After completing his PhD in biology at the California Institute of Technology, he earned his MFA in creative writing from Bennington College and completed the Queens University of Charlotte Book Development Program. He was a PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow, a Plympton Writing Downtown Fellow, and a Bennington Alumni Fellow. He co-founded The Granum Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to supporting writers, and hosts The Artist's Statement podcast.