Yia Vang’s In Yer’s Kitchen Wins Bronze at 2025 Nonfiction Book Awards

June 30, 2025 at 23:13 PM EDT

Groundbreaking Hmong Memoir Celebrates Mother-Daughter Bonds, Cultural Resilience, and the Power of Food

(PRUnderground) June 30th, 2025

Debut author Yia Vang has been honored with a Bronze Award from the 2025 Nonfiction Book Awards for her memoir, In Yer’s Kitchen: Memoir of a Hmong Daughter. Published by Soulmaker Press, this evocative work interlaces personal narrative with cultural history, offering readers a poignant exploration of identity, heritage, and the enduring connection between generations. Presented by the Nonfiction Authors Association, the Nonfiction Book Awards recognize excellence in nonfiction writing and publishing across a wide range of genres.

Born in a Thai refugee camp to parents who fled Laos after the Secret War, Vang interweaves her mother’s story with her own. Through the seemingly simple act of cooking with her mother, she brings forth stories of resilience, survival, and cultural continuity. Each recipe acts as a thread in what she calls her family’s “story cloth”—from the healing properties of chicken soup to the cultural significance of soul-calling ceremonies involving eggs.

“Some books teach us how to cook. Others tell us who we are. Yia Vang’s extraordinary memoir, In Yer’s Kitchen, does both, offering a rare glimpse into Hmong culture through the lens of a daughter discovering her heritage one recipe at a time,” noted one reviewer.

What makes this memoir stand out is the seamless fusion of the deeply personal with the historically political. As the book unfolds, Vang reveals how food becomes a vital thread of continuity for displaced communities. Her mother’s kitchen wisdom grounded in simplicity, seasonality, and a connection to the earth offers a quiet counterpoint to the processed abundance of American supermarkets.

At its emotional core, the memoir follows the growth of a profound relationship between mother and daughter. Vang’s path from cultural shame to pride resonates with many second-generation immigrants, and her storytelling gives that journey fresh urgency. She captures the heartache of watching her once-respected parents take on menial work in America—yet she also honors their quiet dignity and perseverance.

This is a landmark publication—the first memoir from a Hmong writer. It arrives during a pivotal time for Asian American voices, spotlighting the need for stories that have long gone untold. Vang’s work also enriches public understanding of the Secret War in Laos, a chapter in American history that remains unfamiliar to many.

Reviewers celebrated the work’s literary and cultural value. One noted: “Rich in detail yet deeply universal in its themes, In Yer’s Kitchen isn’t just about preserving recipes—it’s about preserving memory, identity, and the unbreakable bonds between generations.”

Soulmaker Press, the publisher behind In Yer’s Kitchen, is dedicated to amplifying voices that explore themes of healing, connection, and liberation. Their commitment to storytelling that bridges personal and collective experiences is evident in this memoir, which not only preserves recipes but also the memories and identities intertwined with them.

In Yer’s Kitchen is available in paperback and eBook formats through major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Soulmaker Press.

About the Author:

Yia Vang is a writer and storyteller born in a Thai refugee camp after her family escaped persecution in Laos following the Secret War. She grew up pursuing the American dream, only to come full circle and rebegin where her roots are, realizing that is where home starts. Yia graduated with a B.S. in Communication from the University of California, Davis. She dedicates her life to creating conditions for human flourishing. Through personal stories and a deeply subtle, nuanced view of womanhood, she invites readers to expand their ideas of intimacy and lineage.

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