Year published :2006

Pages :238 pp.

Size :13x19.7 cm.

Rights :Southeast Asia

ISBN: 9789749361924

Not Out of Hate

by Ma Ma Lay

Margaret Aung-Thwin, Translator; William H. Frederick, Editor

Not Out of Hate is the first Burmese novel to be translated into English and published outside of Myanmar. It offers unusual insights into the social history of the late colonial period. Set in pre–World War II Burmese society, the story centers on the relationship and marriage of seventeen-year-old Way Way with U Saw Han, a much older Burmese agent for a British trading company. The subtle but deep misunderstandings they experience mirror the cultural confrontation of Eastern and Western values in modern society, still evident in Burmese life today. The work is also a poignant and pointed commentary on a young woman’s struggle against a suffocating love.

About the Authors, Translators, Editors

Ma Ma Lay (1917–1982) is one of Myanmar’s foremost female authors. She was a tireless journalist with a vigorous intellect as well as a major contributor to the creation of modern Burmese literature. Her works give realistic treatment to serious cultural and social themes.

Margaret Aung-Thwin, now retired, teaches adult literacy and translates Burmese literature.

William H. Frederick is Associate Professor of History at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

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