** Sunday Times Bestseller ** Brilliant, heartbreaking and highly original, Ocean Vuong\'s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, and a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling. \'A marvel\' Marlon James This is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family\'s history that began before he was born. It tells of Vietnam, of the lasting impact of war, and of his family\'s struggle to forge a new future. And it serves as a doorway into parts of Little Dog\'s life his mother has never known - episodes of bewilderment, fear and passion - all the while moving closer to an unforgettable revelation. \'A masterpiece\' Max Porter \'Luminous, shattering, urgent, necessary\' Celeste Ng