3.7 stars. This collection of short stories about the lives of Cambodian refugees and their families living in the Central Valley was entertaining and surprising. None of the stories overstayed their welcome. I particularly appreciated the different ways the stories explored the question of what younger Cambodian immigrants owe their parents and other relatives killed in the genocide (“The Shop” explores this theme well), and the generational divide between parents who survived unimaginable horrors and their kids who grew up in relative safety in America — although the last story, “Generational Differences,” suggests that even that stereotypical divide may be illusory.

Not surprisingly, another major theme is the perceived limitations of what “Cambos” should, or can, do, and how that limits the ability to live in a way that’s true to oneself.

Ultimately, these stories of a community haunted by generational trauma and ghosts of the past, many of whom still strive to put that past behind them, wasn’t particularly remarkable, but was an enjoyable read.