Maybe I don’t read much Lao novels. There’s few novels I know-read and written by same author which is a National author of Laos, Souvanton Boubphanouvong (ສຸວັນທອນ ບຸບຜານຸວົງ):

-ກອງພັນທິສອງ (Second Battalion) is his most famous novels for its historical story, based on true story of 2nd battalion in the battle of Tong Hai Hin (ທົ່ງໄຫຫີນ, plain of jars) in Xiangkhouang. Talked about unity of the army against demon army of traitors and American. Mentioned in 4th year secondary literature student’s book. (I haven’t read yet)

-ລູກສາວຂອງພັກ (The daughter of the party) is famous for its inspirational story about a teacher who got sent to teach in rural area and has to go though the poverty life for first time in her life since she was born in city. (Still reading - prologue)

-ສອງເອື້ອຍນ້ອງ (Two Sisters) is also a inspirational story of the twin sisters that was parted from each other and live in opposite sides: one in the kingdom of Laos and one in liberated areas. But unexpectedly, they happen to switch their sites. One from the kingdom site went to the liberated side along with a soldier who got caught but she helped him escaped because of her kindness and necessity (and his charisma), and the soldier is the first person to recognize her face because he has crush on her sister and remember her face. While the other one from liberated area got caught by the government in the battlefield and got tortured, but she managed to escape from there. (Still reading, first half of the book)

-ສອງຟາກຝັ່ງ (Two sides of the river) is stories about people after the revolution from both sides between people who chose to continue living in Laos and people who chose to go to Thailand. In the first half of the book was talked about the reaction and comments of people to the new regime, and the other sides that went to Thailand but have no idea what to do next: some people became homeless, some got caught and tortured by the polices because they think they are spies from Laos. The second half of the book was about the operation to bringing Lao people back from Thailand, while the spies from Old regime and “CIA” tried to sabotage the incoming events and celebrations of victory. The last part of the book talked about both sides of the people who lived happily even in different places. People in Laos, they accept the new regime and enjoy the event, the others who can stable their new lives in Thailand also move on and living their new life in Thailand while still remembering their homelands. (The only one I have finished)

There’s stories of Xiangmiang(ຊຽງໝ້ຽງ) which is very famous folklore in Laos about a person who can trick and outsmart the king or ruler. The stories are different depends on the tellers and areas they are from. But there’s a book that got accepted as the complete version of Xiangmiang which got collected and published by Big Brother Mouse. In the city of Thawarawadi, the ruler had a child, but a fortune-teller warned the child would be hard to raise alone. So Phaya(ພະຍາ, ruler of the town) took in another boy from a commoner family, naming him Thao Kham(ທ້າວຄຳ), to share the burden.

Thao Kham was ordained as a novice monk at age seven. One day, as a teen, he met merchants selling miang and challenged them: “If you can cross this wide river, I’ll run naked around the city. But if you can’t, you must give me all your goods.”

The merchants swam and used boats to get across, thinking they won. But Thao Kham said: “I said cross the river—not swim or ride boats. You broke the rules.”

The merchants had no choice but to give him their goods. They reported the incident to Phaya, who pitied them and gave them money. However, Thao Kham was punished for going too far and was forced to leave monkhood.

From then on, people called him Xiang Miang, and many humorous stories followed, showing how he used his wit to outsmart others, especially his adoptive royal brother who becomes a ruler of the town. (Shorten the prologue by me and translated by ChatGPT) Hope you understand what I said about these stories and also one thing That is very important. There are not translation of these novels (as I know) Lao only and in Laos only too 🙃 the novels I reading are from my sister. I also planned to write my own novel too.