by Susan F. Kepner

This is a book about love and marriage in contemporary Thailand,' declares the preface of this charming book. The volume is ingeniously built around six short stories called 'Tales of the Demon Folk' by Sri Daoruang, one of Thailand's leading fiction writers. With striking creativity, Sri Daoruang has placed the familiar characters of the Ramakian, the Thai epic based on the Indian Ramayana, within the Bangkok of today. By re-envisioning their relationships and adventures, she portrays husband and wife relations in Thai society, cloaked in the comforting garments of myth and laced wit the kind of humor readers appreciate most--ironic, sarcastic, earthy, and compassionate.