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On Saturday, Nov. 1, local author Kao Kalia Yang captivated a standing-room-only crowd at the Chanhassen Library, as part of a featured event coinciding with the city’s City Hall open house.
The event was attended by 94 people in person, with some standing or seated in the back, and also was livestreamed to viewers online.
Yang, a Minnesota Book Award-winning writer known for her memoirs and children’s literature, read from her picture book “The Rock in My Throat,” which recounts her own journey with selective mutism. She then shared personal reflections and excerpts from “Where Rivers Part: A Story of My Mother,” a deeply moving creative memoir about her family’s history of war, survival and migration.
Throughout her talk, Yang’s storytelling was described as “breathtaking,” with many in the audience seen wiping away tears, gasping or murmuring with emotion.
“She is as much a storyteller in person as in her haunting, lyrical writing,” said Linnea Fonnest, librarian at the Chanhassen Library. “Even her answers to questions raised goosebumps as well as joy.”
Yang’s powerful reflections covered her family’s escape from genocide in Laos, their time in a Thai refugee camp, and eventual resettlement in Minnesota when she was just 6 years old.
Several attendees felt a deep personal connection to her words, including members of the “Asian Moms Group,” a local collective of women.
“We had some good discussions afterwards,” one group member shared via message. “Three of them have parents who lived in the refugee camp, too.”
The intimate setting fostered community conversation, with small groups lingering after the talk to chat and reflect while the author signed books and spoke personally with attendees.
Pamela Klinger-Horn, representing Valley Bookseller and Literature Lovers Night Out, reported it was one of their most successful events in terms of book sales — selling out of the featured titles and several others, including “The Latehomecomer.”
“I saw one person who bought 10 books,” Fonnest added. “Others had three or four.”
Yang’s impact extended beyond the reading. She brought all three of her children with her to the library, who quietly explored the building while she spoke.
“I’m a library kid,” said Yang, when asked about how her children enjoy coming to these events with her. “Public libraries hold a special place in my heart, and my kids enjoy being able to explore and spend time at so many libraries.”
“She would be amazing for a family program for all ages,” said Fonnest. “There’s such grace and strength in her writing — evident in the generations of women who come to life in her pages. Rarely, if ever, have I been so moved to convince others to read a book.”
For those who missed the event in person, the full recording is available online via YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
