At the end of the Vietnam War, when Beth Nguyen was eight months old, she and her father, sister, grandmother and uncles fled Saigon for America. Beth’s mother stayed - or was left - behind, and they did not meet again until Beth was 19. Over the course of her adult life, she and her mother have spent less than 24 hours together. OWNER OF A LONELY HEART is a memoir about parenthood, absence and the condition of being a refugee: the story of Beth’s relationship with her mother. Framed by a handful of visits over the course of many years - sometimes brief, sometimes interrupted, sometimes with her mother alone and sometimes with her sister - Beth tells a coming-of-age story that spans her own Midwestern childhood, her first meeting with her mother, and becoming a parent herself.
Book Review: 'Owner of a Lonely Heart,' by Beth Nguyen nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, here are ten works by Asian American and Pacific Islander writers that shed light on themes of identity, immigration and familial relationships.