The Refugees

The Refugees 
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Published: February 2017

8 short stories that span the wide spectrum of Vietnamese-American immigrant experiences. From literal ghost stories of those haunted by the past, to a neighborhood rivalry between two mothers struggling to make a difference, each story peers into a broken family displaced by war.

4 out of 5 stars: Beautifully moving stories of hope, sorrow, and nostalgia. For me, the standouts were "Black-Eyed Women", "War Years" and "I'd Love You To Want Me." I enjoyed these so much, I may have to revisit The Sympathizer (which still sits right where I left it when I got distracted by who knows what and failed our burgeoning book club so miserably. I'm better now, guys, promise!)

Sour Heart

Sour Heart
by Jenny Zhang
Published: August 2017

A collection of stories exploring experiences of Chinese immigrants now scattered throughout the boroughs of New York. Each short stars a young girl struggling to stay afloat - dealing with assimilation, poverty, and coming of age in the City. The stories are so raw and fully-developed, it feels like we're getting tiny glimpses' into Zhang's own childhood (though some may as well have been from mine).

5 out of 5 stars: I especially liked the bits that dug deep into the dynamics of close-knit families -- how even inseparable siblings inevitably grow apart, how we must savor our grandparents' tales of the past even when they feel so disconnected from our own reality, and how our relationship with our parents ebbs and flows as we age.

The Chateau

The Chateau
by Paul Goldberg
Expected Publication: Feb 2018

After losing his job, well-seasoned DC journalist Bill Katzenelenbogen flies south in an effort to stave of a budding existential crisis and redirect energies into an investigation on the untimely death of his college roommate (a distinguished plastic surgeon well known as "The Butt God of Miami Beach"). While in town, he visits his estranged father and becomes immediately entangled in a complicated web of feuds erupting from within the Chateau condo between the Board vs. Residents, Russian Immigrants vs Americans, and Jews vs. goys. Set during the inauguration of Donald Trump, this novel tackles political and social tensions from the perspective of immigrants on either side.

4.5 out of 5 stars: Overall, a fun read: satirical and subversive with heavy doses of despondence and brutal realism. I especially enjoyed the tidbits of Russian literature and poetry and vocabulary that were sprinkled throughout.

// I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review