Her Wild American Self: Short Stories [Paperback]

M. Evelina Galang (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1996

Filipina American debut author displays the contradictions of Asian American experience with irony & enthusiasm, anger & wit.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Despite some pointed descriptions, most of Galang's debut short-story collection is marred by flat endings and characters almost entirely lacking in self-knowledge. This is particularly unfortunate in stories about self-discovery, such as "Rose Colored," in which the well-balanced Rose compares her life to her go-go dancing cousin; the title story, about the adolescent Augustina and her budding sexual relationship with her cousin; and "Figures," in which Ana, who paints voluptuous nudes, marries a man whose stability is at first appealing but who becomes vaguely grating. The most provocative work here is "Filming Sausage," a diary-like account of escalating sexual harassment on the set of a breakfast-meat commercial, but it too ends with a whimper as the victim switches from a moment-by-moment second-person account to a sort of summing up in the final paragraphs. Marking the beginning, middle and end are three short pieces, which are more political commentary on the position of Asian and Asian-American women than stories. Like in the head-on rant on stereotypes in "The Look-Alike Women" ("Because you are all exotic. Sensual and mysterious as red silk kimonos. Passionate like volcanoes, Mount Fuji and Pinatubo. Sexy like the girls who danced in clubs along Oolangapo. Fierce like Miss Saigon"), they are direct and forcefully worded giving some taste of what Galang might yet achieve in her longer stories.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-In a series of autobiographical essays, Galang presents a vivid picture of the present-day life of a young Filipino-American woman. Her everyday encounters with American society are tempered by the cultural richness retained from her ancestral country. The value and importance of family, community, and religion shine within each story while the role of ethnic foods, clothing, and living style weaves its way throughout each selection. This collection is especially appealing to readers who are interested in other cultures or their assimilation in American society or who are looking for materials about Filipino Americans. The stories read quickly and each subtly contrasts life in America with that of life in the Philippines. An interesting collection of stories about an Asian minority in America that is rarely depicted in literature.
Dottie Kraft, formerly at Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Coffee House Press; First Edition edition (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566890403
• ISBN-13: 978-1566890403
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #668,174 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Reading, May 24, 2000

By 

Chong Xiong (Mpls, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Her Wild American Self: Short Stories (Paperback)

This debut collection of short stories from a Fil-Am woman writer was a joy to read. Although some stories were not as well-developed as others, I enjoyed them for the different characters who struggled with the same issues--identity, language, their place in the world, etc.

The most memorable stories for me were the same story she used for the title of the collection, and "Baby Lust". I found "Her Wild American Self" and the character Augustina to be very poignant and tragic--what does this particular story say about the woman's feelings, passions, and her choices? The second story I found myself being drawn to because it is so deeply troubling and disturbing. The images Ms. Galang portrays of the (I believe psychotic, but what woman wouldn't be after a miscarriage?) woman and her desire for cups of soup with little shrimp floating in it is very dramatic, and I found myself shuddering in revulsion.

Certainly some stories could be improved upon, but this debut collection shows a strong emerging voice of a woman writer from the APA community.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her Wild American Self, July 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Her Wild American Self: Short Stories (Paperback)

Finally! A book that covers the duality of living within two vastly different cultures, AND being female. Galang's characters are strong and their dialogue honest. The best of the bunch is "Lessons on How You Never Lived Back Home," which is a self-reflection of a Filipina-American coming to terms with her identity, and the difficulties in accepting completely and equally her two homes -- The Philippines and the U.S. Anyone who's been caught in between two separate "worlds" can relate to the truthfulness and poignancy of Galang's stories

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ..., June 7, 2003

By 

Caley Walsh (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Her Wild American Self: Short Stories (Paperback)

I cannot help but marvel at how hastily you dismiss Galang's collection of short stories without grappling with any of the issues this book is meaning to communicate. While certainly there is an element of anger essential to this book as a commentary on the Filipina-American experience, the women of this novel are not so one-dimensional. Can a woman's search for meaning after the death of a child, or the struggle of family acceptance be classified solely as anger? Galang's stories are much more than that. They are a poignant illustration of how one can struggle to find identity, and more importantly, how one can struggle for an identity between cultures. These Filipina-American women are the embodiment of social and individual problems, which are not solved through a simple plot resolution in each story. Rather, the lack of finality in the stories disallows the ability to dismiss the argument Galang is raising with the end of the story. The stories force you to think. In my personal view, these stories are beautifully constructed within the minds of women, imparting the dualistic feeling of making me want to cry and rage against the silence of so many others concurrently.