Welcome to Litsy!

I‘m coming out of hiding to tell you to read this book!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#BOTM

Starting my weekend book early…

15-28 Jul 23
A pregnant woman husband and young son attempt to flee post-war Vietnam but the husband is somehow left behind. The woman raises her two sons, struggling with cultural differences, poverty and prejudice only to discover her husband intentionally remained in Vietnam.
I found the jumping timeline distracting. I do not understand why the woman remained in New Orleans or why her husband chose at the last moment to remain in Vietnam.

I enjoyed this book/audio about a Vietnamese family who immigrated to New Orleans after the war. We‘ll, mom & the 2 sons made it out, but dad/husband didn‘t. So you see how identities & relationships change/grow/evolve. It does have some weird time jumps that can confuse (esp on the audio) but I still liked the story overall.

I wanted to like this book so much. It is a subject that I usually really like learning about and reading about and normally like books that give more insight into Vietnam. But, this one was very dry for me. It jumped around too fast. The story just felt like it had gaps and I had a hard time really forming a bond where I cared about the characters.

Good novel about a Vietnamese family separated and emigrating to the US. Each character has good development. The ending is a little rushed (or I just read it fast because I wanted to know how everything ended…very plausible). Overall, good book and worth a read!

Another very good book! I put this one off for awhile, thinking I wouldn‘t like it. Boy, was I wrong! I found it to be fast paced, especially the end. I definitely learned more about the refugee Vietnamese and their culture. I didn‘t realize that many of them ended up in New Orleans. It was nice to read about one of my favorite cities! The way the immigrant family changed over the years was amazing. I recommend this book.

First book of a 4 day weekend! Earlier this week I finished 2 fantastic books so expectations were way too high for another. This was good. The time jumps were a bit erratic and jarring, but the writing is lovely and it is a solid immigrant story. Would not - not recommend it.

I love immigrant stories. The stories and experiences are as different as the worlds they left in order to arrive at a new land. This particular beautiful story reminded me that I was college classmates with three students who arrived in America as boat people from Vietnam. I never learned their stories - I guess I thought it would have seemed rude to ask at the time. I wish I could have a redo.

This was between a So-So and a Pick for me. Parts of the writing were beautiful, but it just didn't keep me engaged. The time jumps were abrupt and the plot was a little all over the place, with characters coming and going. I also felt many characters were underdeveloped...Ba Giang and Vinh for example. Good moments, but overall, ok.

A story of a Vietnamese mother and her two sons, who fled Vietnam in 1978 and ended up in New Orleans. The father doesn‘t make it out of Vietnam and the mother holds on to the hope that they will reunite one day. The book follows the three from their early struggles to adapt to their new life in the 80‘s, to 2005 and the arrival of Hurricane Katrina. A beautifully written book, told from the different perspectives of the three family members.

The story of a family who immigrate to New Orleans from Vietnam. Beautiful writing. Quick jumps between narrators and a slightly rushed ending made this a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me out of five. I would have liked those sections to be longer and more in depth.

Will definitely be reading more from Eric Nguyen!

New blanket and new book! Time to chill in the park.

What a wonderful thought provoking story. This story is about Vietnamese mother and child who fled Vietnam to New Orleans for safety. This story focuses on grief, life, family, Identity and so much more. I loved the writing and the story telling. I enjoyed the characters and their personal challenges through out the book. Felt the ending was a little rushed but still gave it an A-

Wtf #botm!! Are we actually going to have to wait until the first for the June selections?! 😂😩

Anyone else been checking the site incessantly all weekend??!

Wow. I loved this book. It doesn‘t hurt that New Orleans, one of my fave cities on the planet, is a main character. I also found the story itself really compelling, and the characters layered and nuanced. I recommend it! #BotM

Looking forward to this #botm #bookofthemonth choice!

Heads up: May #BOTM picks and add-ons are live!

Plenty of potential of a displaced family trying to find themselves after a disaster follows them. The Vietnamese War has forced a mother and her two sons to routed to New Orleans as they find themselves as refugees, outsiders, individuals, and the adults they are meant to be. Sadly, the connection with Hurricane Katrina does little in tying it all together making it an okay story.