Viet Thanh Nguyen writes about what it's like to be an immigrant and writing from that perspective in this book. This was a phenomenal book. I loved it so much. His tone is so conversational. You feel like you are on the journey with him.

One of the things I loved most about this book was his discussion of how books and reading kept him from being lonely and falling in with the wrong crowd when he was a child and his parents were working 16 hour days at their grocery store. He also talked about the first book he ever wrote in elementary school and how much libraries meant to him growing up.

This is a really good book not only to understand the writing process but also the diaspora and being an immigrant and not quite fitting into any community. I highly recommend this book.

you know when you read a book and all you have to say for every word, every sentence is - 'yes, exactly!' because either a) you've already had the thought, b) you've had the thought but not in that exact way, or c) wow, you've never thought about it in this way? that's how i felt reading this book.

i really liked each essay/speech in this book. it's important and also, importantly, accessible. on the one hand, i really liked (or really disliked) how much i related to so many parts of the book, and on the other, i am disappointed that it needs to be said and then said again.

i will be recommending this book to so many people!

5 stars

Prospective readers should be mindful that unlike Nguyen's most popular work, this is a series of nonfiction essays (vs. a fabulous fictional novel). While I'd often encourage only an academic audience to read this, I think there is so much relatable content here that it could appeal to many audiences. That noted, I am part of that academic audience, so my opinion may be ever so slightly tainted.

Nguyen narrates the audio version of his book, and that is particularly fitting with the personal nature of the content as well as the original modality through which these essays were delivered: Norton lectures. Fans of Nguyen's and those interested in modern writing, identity, and postcolonialism will find so SO much to be enthusiastic about here.

I really enjoyed this efficient listen, and I can't wait to recommend it to my students.