THE DIAMOND EXPLORER

Narrator Pagnia Xiong offers up a lyrical exploration of growing up Hmong in the Midwest. The various characters who make up Malcolm's world, Hmong and Anglo, are narrated with cultural accuracy by Xiong, Colin Ryan, Kelli Garland, and Gregory Yang. The authoritative voices of Malcolm's teachers highlight the racism he faces in school. At home his discouragement with his old-world parents leads him to his goal to become a shaman--like the grandparents he never knew. Narrators who are Hmong speakers voice old and young alike, providing a layer of cultural authenticity critical to the performances. S.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2024]