THIS is the debut novel by Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong, and it is written in the form of a letter from a Vietnamese-American son nicknamed Little Dog to his Vietnam-born mother Rose (or Hong).
The story also captures the life of Little Dog's grandmother, Lan, who had escaped an arranged marriage during the Vietnam War and ends up becoming a prostitute. She then marries an American soldier and gives birth to Rose.
Rose grows up during a troubled time and suffers mental issues due to the war. Rose also marries an abusive man, leaves him and struggles as a single parent living in the US with her son and her mother Lan.
There is a cycle of abuse in the story brought upon by the trauma the characters had experienced in their own lives, as well as due to cultural norms.
A well-written book about characters who are all victims of their past.
