“Exploding out from Imperial’s confrontation with Kipling, this bold debut embodies the ethos of translation by scrutinizing language in all forms—and in so doing tackles questions of culture, race, belonging, and the subjectivity of truth. The result is a searching and nuanced exploration of a selfhood strung between two countries.” —Lily Nilipour, Asian Review of Books
“As an adult, [Imperial] attempted what no one else had done: translating [‘The White Man’s Burden’] into Tagalog. These efforts led Imperial to reflect on her many (often disorienting) moves between the U.S. and the Philippines as well as the pain that translating the poem, alongside her own fractured experiences, represented.…Kipling’s ‘burden,’ Imperial suggests, is far more nuanced than many believe.…An intriguing and provocative book.”—Kirkus
“Christine Imperial questions her ability to translate a text she has every reason to hate: Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘The White Man’s Burden.’ … I would say that Imperial is really translating something much murkier and more elusive: her perceptions, her guilt, her love for her family. And it is because of that love that her translation succeeds.” —Jess Jensen Mitchell, Full Stop