The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father

The Song Poet is a moving and powerful memoir that tells the story of Kao Kalia Yang's Hmong father, Bee Yang, who was a song poet in Minnesota.

Through his poetry, Bee recounts the history and tragedies, joys and losses of his people, keeping their past alive and invoking the spirits and homeland.

Despite facing poverty and discrimination, Bee's poetry burnished a life of poverty for his children, polishing their grim reality so that they might shine.

This memoir is an elegantly written, moving testament to so many aspects of the human experience, and it powerfully demonstrates that much of what society doesn’t hold valuable still carries immense value if only we choose to see it.

The Song Poet is a must-read for anyone interested in Hmong culture, immigration stories, or simply great literature.