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A review by mycouscous
Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong
4.0
Monique Truong's Bitter in the Mouth is an elegantly written novel that expands the world of Southern literature with its Vietnamese narrator, Linda(mint). In an age of increasingly globalization and migration, Truong challenges the typical definition of Southerner.
I loved the varied relationships in the book, from the very real girlhood friendship between Linda and Kelly to Linda seeking solace with her great uncle Baby Harper. Linda struggles with being an outsider while grappling with a condition called synethsesia, which elicits certain tastes depending on the word she hears. The tastes combined with the dialog create a vivid and curious effect, making the reader take pause to ponder Linda's condition. It could feel forced, but Truong makes it work even as she constructs serious conversations in which Linda's family tries to make sense of the past. I'll definitely recommend this to fans of North Carolina and literary fiction.
I loved the varied relationships in the book, from the very real girlhood friendship between Linda and Kelly to Linda seeking solace with her great uncle Baby Harper. Linda struggles with being an outsider while grappling with a condition called synethsesia, which elicits certain tastes depending on the word she hears. The tastes combined with the dialog create a vivid and curious effect, making the reader take pause to ponder Linda's condition. It could feel forced, but Truong makes it work even as she constructs serious conversations in which Linda's family tries to make sense of the past. I'll definitely recommend this to fans of North Carolina and literary fiction.