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4.42 AVERAGE
4.42 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
It's an important book for Americans, particularly today, to see that the immigrant experience is no piece of cake -- to learn how hard the entire family worked to make existence possible. I found myself being so thankful to all of the people who helped along the way -- my favorite being the teacher who wrote the note letting her friends and colleagues know that in case they were wondering what to get her for her birthday, it should be a donation to help Ly pay her college expenses.
An incredible story. I found Ly’s experiences with her eyesight to be a powerful metaphor for her journey growing up and am surprised it isn’t reflected in the title.
inspiring
slow-paced
2 stars = Meh. Just ok.
“I hated that it did give her power over us. That money was power in this world and we would never be powerful.”
I hate that I did not love this as much as everyone else, but I certainly would not discourage others from reading it. A lot of readers shy away from rating memoirs because they see it as judging that person’s life. For me that is nonsensical, as I rate a book based on my reading experience, not on the person whose life it entails. I have rated memoirs higher despite finding the subject to be unlikeable and such as in this case, rated some lower even though I found the subject to be inspirational. But I’m not rating Ly Tran or her life here, I’m rating the book.
It covers her family’s immigrant experience as they moved from Vietnam to the USA after the American Vietnam war, showcasing the struggles they went through and overcame. It also covers complex family dynamics, especially when complicated by culture clashes between generations. I normally enjoy these types of books more than I did here.
Unfortunately, this was not a great match for my personal reading tastes. The first half of the book covers her elementary, middle and high school years. While certainly formative and important to her life, it was hard for me to be interested in eraser collections and other childhood struggles, even when they were relatable. It ends with her still in her early 20’s - a life well lived thus far and certainly one to be proud of, though not much of a life yet in years or major experiences.
Had it instead been a lengthy essay I probably would have loved it, but as is, it felt long, slow, and as though too little material was stretched out to cover far too many pages. I was looking forward to moving on to my next read long before I finished the book and for that the lower rating is warranted. I would however recommend it to people interested in the Asian immigrant experience who do not mind a heavy focus on childhood years with a slow narrative. Personally, I prefer memoirs that are meatier with profound prose.
“In a way, I suppose that was the American dream, buying more than one could afford and dealing with the repercussions later.”
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First Sentence: We arrive in the blizzard of 1993, coming from rice paddies, mango trees, and the sun to February in the Empire State.
Favorite Quote: As I grew older I would come to understand that these were the same shackles that had kept my father imprisoned for nearly a decade of misery and despair, and that, from the very beginning, we were all haunted by the ghosts of my father’s pasts.
“I hated that it did give her power over us. That money was power in this world and we would never be powerful.”
I hate that I did not love this as much as everyone else, but I certainly would not discourage others from reading it. A lot of readers shy away from rating memoirs because they see it as judging that person’s life. For me that is nonsensical, as I rate a book based on my reading experience, not on the person whose life it entails. I have rated memoirs higher despite finding the subject to be unlikeable and such as in this case, rated some lower even though I found the subject to be inspirational. But I’m not rating Ly Tran or her life here, I’m rating the book.
It covers her family’s immigrant experience as they moved from Vietnam to the USA after the American Vietnam war, showcasing the struggles they went through and overcame. It also covers complex family dynamics, especially when complicated by culture clashes between generations. I normally enjoy these types of books more than I did here.
Unfortunately, this was not a great match for my personal reading tastes. The first half of the book covers her elementary, middle and high school years. While certainly formative and important to her life, it was hard for me to be interested in eraser collections and other childhood struggles, even when they were relatable. It ends with her still in her early 20’s - a life well lived thus far and certainly one to be proud of, though not much of a life yet in years or major experiences.
Had it instead been a lengthy essay I probably would have loved it, but as is, it felt long, slow, and as though too little material was stretched out to cover far too many pages. I was looking forward to moving on to my next read long before I finished the book and for that the lower rating is warranted. I would however recommend it to people interested in the Asian immigrant experience who do not mind a heavy focus on childhood years with a slow narrative. Personally, I prefer memoirs that are meatier with profound prose.
“In a way, I suppose that was the American dream, buying more than one could afford and dealing with the repercussions later.”
-----
First Sentence: We arrive in the blizzard of 1993, coming from rice paddies, mango trees, and the sun to February in the Empire State.
Favorite Quote: As I grew older I would come to understand that these were the same shackles that had kept my father imprisoned for nearly a decade of misery and despair, and that, from the very beginning, we were all haunted by the ghosts of my father’s pasts.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
i sat in rittenhouse and read over 100 pages in a sitting to finish this book and it took me a while to realize how immersed i was because i had to put down the book after reading ms liu’s letter in the book.
a lot of gems in the writing and maybe it’s because this is the first non-fiction i’ve kicked up in a bit but it felt like it took a while for me to be captivated.
maybe it’s partly because i’ve had similar experiences to ly tran and have made them inaccessible to myself and reading this book kinda brought back some memories and feelings i haven’t found words to articulate yet
also i think 3/5 stars because filial piety has NOT been the vibe for a long time and although i could empathize with that being a core part of the memoir, it kinda put me in a slight malaise.
lmao this review was deep (or not) for no reason but overall enjoyed it! thanks for the rec judy
a lot of gems in the writing and maybe it’s because this is the first non-fiction i’ve kicked up in a bit but it felt like it took a while for me to be captivated.
maybe it’s partly because i’ve had similar experiences to ly tran and have made them inaccessible to myself and reading this book kinda brought back some memories and feelings i haven’t found words to articulate yet
also i think 3/5 stars because filial piety has NOT been the vibe for a long time and although i could empathize with that being a core part of the memoir, it kinda put me in a slight malaise.
lmao this review was deep (or not) for no reason but overall enjoyed it! thanks for the rec judy
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Certain parts of her story really resonated, beautiful book, resilient woman
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexual assault
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Ly Tran's storytelling pulls you into her incredible journey of resilience and the fierce determination to build a new life. It’s a moving and deeply personal account that sheds light on the often-unseen struggles of assimilation, family, and the search for belonging. This book isn't just a story; it's an experience that will challenge your perspective and leave a lasting impression. Absolutely five stars. I can’t believe this book has less than 5,000 reviews on Goodreads.