Somewhere in the Unknown World: A Collective Refugee Memoir

Somewhere in the Unknown World: a Collective Refugee Memoir (2020) is a collection of stories told to Hmong American author Kao Kalia Yang by refugees from across the world now living in Minnesota. Yang is intimately familiar with the issues facing refugee communities: She was born in a refugee camp in Thailand after her family was displaced by war in Laos. The collection is her attempt to collect and preserve the stories of other people displaced by violence. The collection addresses themes such as The Importance of Community in Times of War or Displacement, The Unique Challenges of War and Displacement for Women and Children, and The Necessity and Pain of Remembrance.

This guide is based on the 2020 Metropolitan Books e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source material contains depictions of genocide, war, displacement, miscarriage, infant death, racism, xenophobia, depression, and other mental health conditions.

Summary

“From Irina to Irene” tells the story of Irene (formerly Irina) Ruderman Clark, whose Jewish family fled Minsk shortly after her 11th birthday. She describes the difficulties of coming of age in a time of war and the importance of the Jewish diaspora in Europe and America.