Another one off the Orange Prize Longlist. Na Ga tells her life story in a rambling manner, from her childhood as a member of the Wild Lu in Burma via an adoption by an American family, time working in a brothel, a relationship with a Westerner, to the town of Wanting on her way back to Burma. The dual meaning of “Wanting” is obviously intentional.

I found the narrative captivating at first, then put the book down for a long time and couldn’t be bothered to finish it. When I did pick it up again I found it quite the page turner again. Not sure what happened in the middle really but it lost my interest somewhere. So in the end I’m not really sure what to make of it. I thought it was a good book but I’d hesitate to recommend it.