debut novel written by a poet. Beautiful lyrical prose and some sections are poems. Written like one long letter to his mother (who does not read or speak English) but tells the story of their family and covers many themes and subjects. It is not plot driven but the story comes out in bits and pieces interposed among various stories and themes. The author was born in Vietnam and grew up in Hartford Connecticut. Section I is his mother and grandmother's story in Vietnam and the effects of the Vietnam war, his American grandfather, the ravages of war through the years to present day nightmares. Section II is his teenage years in CT, his sexual coming of age, poverty, growing up an immigrant, his mother's job in a nail salon, prejudice, abuse. Section III is college in New York. And death. Death of his grandmother and death of his high school boyfriend from drug overdose. Lots of drug overdose. But the beauty is that interwoven through this story of tragedy, prejudice, abuse, war, death, loss is this feeling of love. Especially the love between the author and his mother, but also his grandmother, his American grandfather, his boyfriend. So with all the awfulness there is also love and beauty. Written in beautiful lyrical prose style.

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