Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes

Looking back at a lifetime of memories about love, grief, hope, sadness, and delectable meals, Chantha Nguon raises the promise of hope amid the darkest times. In Slow Noodles, Nguon recounts an idyllic childhood in Cambodia, embraced by the savory tastes and aromas of her mother Mae’s open-air kitchen. The oppressive and murderous Pol Pot regime tore the family apart, as she and her sister Chanthu sought refuge in Saigon.

In Cambodia, the common saying “men are gold, women are cloth” indicates the limitations faced by women. Even as a refugee, Nguon overcomes the caste of gender to continue her late mother’s generous spirit and kind actions. Nguon has devoted her life to supporting impoverished women through the Stung Treng Women’s Development Center.

With co-writer Kim Green, Nguon writes a reflective, soul-stirring, and haunting memoir. What sets Nguon apart in her story is her vivid attention to Cambodian flavors and family recipes. The recipes interspersed throughout the narrative offer adequate detail for readers to try for themselves.

The book invites empathy toward the lived experiences of Cambodians in exile. Comforting food and loving memories of family kept Nguon going amid the struggles of adjusting to a new reality. The dictatorship that tore apart the family brought Nguon closer to a sense of purpose and service.