Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes

by Chantha Nguon

in Southeast Asia, rice is what you eat when you have nothing and when you have everything.

the simplest taste can trigger a memory.

“If you want the fruit, you have to climb the tree,” I told them. “You will fall many times. But the fruit tastes sweetest when you pick it yourself.”

First, show up. Every day. Sit still and learn, even when it seems impossible. Focus on worthwhile dreams, like becoming a weaver and sending

Marrying a rich man? Not a worthwhile dream, I told them. He will soon cast you aside for a fresher fish.

Together, we are learning that it’s better for a woman to cast her own light, like a sun that nurtures others.

a new kind of Cambodian woman—both strong and soft, and terribly improper.