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.
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Praise
“The Outer Country is about family and migration, which is to say it's about haunting, and betrayal, and love, and dedication, and the vast distances the heart must travel to reach, and keep, a sense of home. 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
“The Outer Country is a moving exploration of love's imperfect paths. Malasarn turns the immigrant's tale inside out. Yes, from struggle can come success, but this book lays bare the truth: the capitalist wormhole simply sucks. The acts of survival in this story rupture the lives of its characters, by stifling the human experience. Malasarn captures all of these tribulations with tremendous heart and beautiful prose. He is a writer to follow.”—Alejandro Varela, author of Middle Spoon
“With tenderness and empathy, The Outer Country weaves an intricate and delicate tapestry of language and lives across space and time, plumbing the complexity of familial relationships, the choices we grapple with, and the stories that precede and shape us. Imbuing every page with language that is brilliantly attuned to the interiority of each character, while also carrying the weight of prophecy, Malasarn has crafted a gorgeous novel that is multifaceted, wise, and teeming with light and shadow."—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. The nourishing gardens, the dark family secrets, and Ben’s intense coming-of-age are elegantly crafted in Malasarn's evocative and emotionally precise debut."—Marytza Rubio, author of Maria, Maria: And Other Stories
"From its stark opening to its pitch-perfect ending, Davin Malasarn’s empathetic yet unsentimental novel The Outer Country follows the members of an immigrant family in their attempts to negotiate both life in America and their conflicting needs for love. Without playing favorites, Malasarn shows us each character’s mix of pride and pain, so we can see where they’re coming from, even when they can’t see where they’re going to. This is an impressively sure-handed debut."—David Gates, author of Jernigan