A review by booksaremypeople
The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen

5.0

Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Committed is spectacular. “Captain” has just immigrated to Paris, France, the birthplace of his father along with his friend, Bon. It’s 1981. What not many people know is that “Captain” is a spy and a communist sympathizer who was recently in a reeducation and then a refugee camp in America. “Captain” is caught between two identities and faces rampant racism in a post-Vietnam War society and he does whatever it takes to survive, including becoming a hash dealer. But under the main plot is a wonderful history lesson about the French colonization of Vietnam and the widespread ramifications. This is a novel about identity, loyalty and though all its complexities, it’s about survival. Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book.