Nineteen year old Hai is ready to jump off a bridge. Grazina, an elderly immigrant widow, calls him down. She's developing dementia. He's full of despair with no options. In The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, these two lost souls forge a path.
cover blurb Over the course of a year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai's relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.
Love, labor, and loneliness can be the bedrock of American life. It's hard to live on the fringes. Sometimes a chosen family can save a soul.
This book can be a tough read at times. The characters are rather haunting, and Hai often does not make good choices. I was frustrated with him. The author, Vuong, has a rich style and good descriptions.
p. 282 Hai is talking to his cousin "Touch me. Go ahead. That's it. Everything else, what I do, what I've gone, the goals and promises, they're all, like, ghosts. My ghost is in pieces. It's all over the place, caught in all the spots where I snagged myself. You get it?"
The Emperor of Gladness was interesting. I'm glad I read it, but...it's challenging.
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