Ocean Vuong is a pretty famous poet, and this is his debut novel. It is so beautiful, exquisite, raw, and heartbreaking that you question: how is this NOT a memoir? It is set all over the place–they moved quite a bit. The main character, Little Dog, is writing this book as a letter to his mother, who never learned to read or speak English. It is his family story of growing up in Vietnam. It is also the story of his life, and what he believes made him who he is. It is structured beautifully, playing out over his 20 years, and ultimately a love letter to his mom. It’s also his coming of age story, and his coming out story. It is also the immigrant story.
–Watermark Book Company, Anacortes, WA
This novel is also the Indie Next List #1 pick for June 2019, which means it was a favorite among early readers in the independent bookselling community nationwide. Pick up your copy at Watermark Book Company or another independent bookstore.