Synopsis
Slippery Stream Banks Village has droughts, dust, and thumping frogs. It's a rural Thai village rich in community and interesting people. There's Old Mr. Pote with his secret. There's Uncle Song, ready to bet on anything. There's Grenade Hands, who boxes his way to national fame. And there's Het, the narrator, who introduces us to his village. Het tells us about the community quest to win a soccer ball, the skinny village lizards, and the staircase that leads up to nothing. Through Het's stories, we learn about the people he knows and the challenges they face together. But does Het have a talent that will lead him away from his Slippery Stream Banks home? Dust in Our Veins tells the story of Het's village and the extraordinary things he sees in the ordinary routines of rural Thai life., Het has known nothing but Slippery Stream Banks, a rural Thai village struggling with periodic droughts. It's where Het learns the value of keeping a secret and the importance of family, community, respect, and honor. Dust in Our Veins tells the story of Het's village and the extraordinary things he learns and sees in the ordinary situations of rural Thai life. Climb Uncle Song's freestanding staircase and read its mysterious messages. Listen to the village sounds, like frogs jumping against doors and mangoes falling from trees. Feel the earth beneath the children's bare feet as they walk to school to learn their next lesson from Khun Kru Chompoo and Khun Kru Surasak. Will Het stay in Slippery Stream Banks Village and follow the expected pattern of a life interrupted by droughts? Or will he leave, just as the great boxer Grenade Hands did, to see what awaits him in the rest of the world? There's something for every reader in this story of a small Thai village with a big, big heart.
