On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

A Novel

256 pages

English language

Published Oct. 29, 2020 by Penguin Random House.

ISBN:
978-1-5291-1068-5
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Brilliant, heartbreaking and highly original, Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, and a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling.

This is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born. It tells of Vietnam, of the lasting impact of war, and of his family's struggle to forge a new future. And it serves as a doorway into parts of Little Dog's life his mother has never known - episodes of bewilderment, fear and passion - all the while moving closer to an unforgettable revelation.

5 editions

Subjects

  • Fiction, coming of age
  • Mothers and sons, fiction
  • Fiction, cultural heritage

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