"Spanning decades and perspectives, seamlessly shifting between the gothic and the tenderhearted, Welcome Me to the Kingdom announces the arrival of an immensely talented new voice in literary fiction. Organized around the devastating financial crisis of 1997, these stories introduce us to an unforgettable cast of characters--Nam, Pea, Lara, Benz, Ping, and more--who employ various schemes and strategies to conceal, betray, lie, and seduce their way to achieving the 'good' life. Sex tourism and Buddhist cults threaten to overtake the nation while Elvis impersonators compete for their respective legacies. A spirit medium channels southern Thailand's secessionist anger into her bloody but essential work. An American leaves his family and expatriates to Bangkok, sold on the idea of an 'easy' country. Two friends, down on their luck, enter a cock-fighting tournament with a legendary bird. And in a city where class is fate, two friends volunteer as first responders to accumulate karmic merit toward their next lives"-- Provided by publisher