Differences

About the Book

Differences is a collection of short stories based on the lives of real people in Thailand and Burma. The story called Differences, from which the title of the book is taken, details one event through the eyes of three different people – a prostitute, a ghost guide and a little flower girl. The story takes place on Pat Pong Street, one of the most famous red light districts in Bangkok. It is a story of pain, anger, suffering and struggle. Don’t Make Me a Human is the story of a woman and her dogs struggling to survive in a slum community along one of Bangkok’s many canals. A forced eviction separates the woman from her beloved dogs and she is left alone to gather up the strength needed to start life over again. Other stories include The Good Son about a young man, his mother and two sisters who have had to flee from their home in Burma to seek safety in a refugee camp inside Thailand. Unfortunately, life in the refugee camp is also not so secure. It’s the Poor Who Suffer tells about the effects of globalization on villagers in the rural northeast of Thailand. Each story shares the difficulties of being poor and oppressed in a world where, in fact, there is plenty. However, each story also tells of the courage, creativity and determination of those who will not give in to these injustices. They are truly heroes.

About the Author

Born in 1946 Max Ediger grew up on a small farm in the Panhandle of Oklahoma. At the age of 19 he began voluntary service with the Mennonite Central Committee, serving in Africa, Vietnam and Thailand. His work has brought him into close personal contact with refugees, slum communities, poor rural communities and victims of war. These communities struggling for justice and human rights have greatly influenced his writing, which attempts to reflect to the reader the hope and courage he finds among people in struggle.