Karen Connelly

Whenever we travel I always try to find an independent bookstore and purchase some books (novels or otherwise) written by local or national authors about the place I'm in. Sometimes they are rather poorly written and locally published, but still help me to learn more of the flavour of my temporary home, but occasionally I've hit upon a real gem.

Such was the case in Chiang Mai last month. I found a wonderful little bookstore with an excellent selection of English books, and much to Ray's chagrin (he tends to worry about the weight of everything I buy) I chose 5 new books about various aspects of life in Thailand. One was actually written by a Canadian, Karen Connelly, about her experiences living for one full year in a small village in Northern Thailand. Not too unique in itself, except Karen was only 17 years old at the time, had never been to Thailand before, and was awarded this experience by her local Albertan Rotary club.

It caught my attention as I wondered about the courage, maturity and determination a young person would need to embark on such an adventure. After reading a few short passages, the intelligence and insight of the young writer were quickly evident ... added to which she definitely wrote with a poet's touch. I was hooked, and the book did not disappoint on any level.

"Touch the Dragon" was a fabulously refreshing read, and I travelled with Karen Connelly throughout her year in Thailand as it touched and changed her on so many levels, similarly as Ray and I continued on our own travels through the same countryside, also being touched and changed by our own experiences. "Touch the Dragon" won the Canadian Governor General's award in 1993, and I couldn't wait to get home and get on my computer to investigate this new (to me) Canadian author.

I found out that Connelly has since written 5 books of poetry which have won a number of awards (I knew she had to be a poet) and after Thailand she went on to travel, live and write in Spain, France and Greece as a young woman, returning many times to her beloved Thailand. She recently lived for two years on the Thai-Burma border among Burmese exiles and dissidents, and visited Burma many times until she was denied a visa by the military regime. When I saw that she had published her first novel in 2005 called "The Lizard Cage" I immediately ordered it, and have just finished reading it.

This is an extremely horrific book (made all the more so knowing that although a fictitious story, Connelly used information gathered from her interviews with many Burmese dissidents) At times it grabs you by the throat leaving you gasping for air, but just as you can't stand any more the story retreats into the safe sweet past, and allows you to breathe once more. Yet, strangely, there's beauty and hope here too. It tells of a young political prisoner, a popular singer who dared to write and sing songs against the Burmese military regime, now serving 20 years in solitary confinement in a brutal Burmese prison. "The Lizard Cage" is so graphic and raw at times that I just had to put it down ... but, after a break I was always drawn back to it's pages. Why? Why continue with a book which equally repelled and fascinated me? I think because of it's overwhelming power, it's poetic compassion, complete integrity, horror yet hope, and the author's poetical heart which shines through with every word. It's also a psychological thriller which keeps you hanging and hoping almost to the last page!

This is a book which had to be written, and should be read ... in the same way as Auschwitz has to be visited and remembered. These things are happening now, (see my blog Wednesday, 26 September 2007 "We watch and wait ...") - and unfortunately not only in Burma.

But, how glad I am to have found this amazing author, one who writes with such flair, such intelligence, and with such a social conscience.