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On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

‘A masterpiece’ – Max Porter

Summary

THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER AND TIKTOK SENSATION

'A marvel' Marlon James


Brilliant, heart-breaking and highly original, discover Ocean Vuong's shattering coming of age novel.


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.

'Reminded me that every word can be an incantation, and that beauty does hard and important work' Rebecca Solnit

Reviews

  • A stunning, beautiful book... His writing is phenomenal... Simply brilliant.
    BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review

About the author

Ocean Vuong

Ocean Vuong is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection Night Sky with Exit Wounds and the New York Times bestselling novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. A recipient of the 2019 MacArthur "Genius" Grant, he is also the winner of the Whiting Award and the T.S. Eliot Prize. His writings have been featured in Atlantic, Harper's Magazine, Nation, New Republic, New Yorker, and the New York Times. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, he currently lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.
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