I really enjoyed reading Ted Ngoy's memoir. It was interesting and full of wit and hope. His story was inspirational and I loved reading how he got his start and began his company. Ted Ngoy tells us his life story from escaping Cambodia as a refugee and arriving in Southern California to rise to be owner of many donut shops plus his foray into politics, his downfall and what he is doing now in Cambodia.

Whew. It was a story. It ended being really interesting to read how he came to the US with nothing after a poor upbringing being raised by a single mother and then fleeing horrible violence (his in-laws were not so lucky) to eventually running many donut shops. The story of an immigrant who arrives with little or nothing and then has much more, plus missed opportunities by both major political parties to engage Cambodians and how he rose again after multiple divorces, losing pretty much everything.

I was expecting a fictionalized book about a donut shop owner, so I was a little surprised when I started reading The Donut King to find that it was not that.

What a story! I enjoyed learning about Ted and his journey through all the ups and downs and his reaction to it. Inspiring book, written in a clear, gripping language.

It is possible that this book just wasn’t for me, or that it would be easier to pick up and follow in an audiobook version. The most difficult hurdle for me to overcome as that this was not what I was anticipating based on the description when I requested it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an advance read of this title. I enjoy stories about entrepreneurs and how they got started, and this was no exception. In fact, it was interesting, because Ngoy had to fight some of his own demons/vices to get to success. It was a great tale about Southern California in the 70s, and how he worked so hard, learning from the chains, but not giving in to selling out to them. I highly recommend this book. It's honest, heartfelt and full of interesting anecdotes.