Pleng's Song is a work of fiction by the American author Patrick Maher. Set in the picturesque backdrop of the Thai peninsula, Pleng's Song is the turbulent story of an 11 year old teenage girl named Pleng Butiplanka, whose personal miseries are compounded by a natural disaster of devastating proportions--- theThailand floods of 2011.
The idea behind the story has been inspired by Maher's own traumatic experiences encountered by him during the floods. Maher, who is originally from Michigan, witnessed firsthand the depredation inflicted by the floods upon the people of Thailand, including his own family.
Devoid of personal attention from her alcoholic mother and an avaricious father, Pleng grew up to be a stubborn and mischievous girl with utter contempt for her school. But her life is turned upside down as her entire locality gets hit by severe floods brought about by a massive downpour. These catastrophic floods that hit Thailand, serve as a perfect metaphor to symbolize the turmoil in Pleng's personal life.
Ironically though, these floods bring about a change in fortune for Pleng as she undergoes a moral awakening. Pleng goes through a series of harrowing experiences and comes out on top in all of them, before she is finally rescued. Some of her bizarre actions, such as the slaughtering of pythons and eating snake meat for survival, do not befit those of a spoilt 11 year old girl. Nonetheless, Pleng's Song is an ode to the indomitable human spirit and a testament to its endurance. Furthermore, Maher goes on to focus on Pleng's post recovery phase, as she is shot into instant stardom and finds it difficult to come to terms with her new-found celebrity status.
The uniqueness of the book is well expounded by Maher's desire to make it appealing to a variegated set of readers. Although Pleng's Song was written for the teenage soul, yet it quite remarkably appeals to the adult conscience. The book's biggest strength is its language of simplicity, while its weakness is its incredible pace bordering on a state of confusion.
Pleng's Song has been featured in leading newspapers throughout the world such as The Nation, The Irish Posta and The Florida Post. This novel has also received national reviews in Thailand,Indonesia, Nepal and Pakistan.
Book details:
Pleng's Song
3rd edition 2012
Text by Patrick Maher
ISBN 978-616-222-101-9
Published by Patrick Maher
Printed by www.booksmango.com
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