Ms. Tran’s debut book is a beautifully-written memoir that explores the challenges facing immigrants from countries with vastly different cultures from the US and finding one’s place in the American salad bowl. Ms. Tran was a toddler when she accompanied her family—parents and three older brothers—to the United States from Vietnam in 1993. Her father had been drafted into the South Vietnamese army at the age of 19 at the height of the Vietnam War. After the war, he, like many other South Vietnamese men, was imprisoned in a communist re-education camp. He eventually was released after seven years (and a failed escape attempt), before he is married to a woman in the village across the river, although he is still harassed by the NVA. Eventually, they are able to leave via a program by the US government, and settle in Ridgewood, Queens. Ms. Tran writes of her courageous trials clearly and with flashes of humor as she tries to blaze her own trail in her adopted country. Impressive debut. I am grateful for winning an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. ( )

This is a close up view of how truly horrible it frequently is, in this country, to be immigrants. Ly's ability to describe in extraordinary detail what she and her family were experiencing is heartbreaking to read. Her personal story is powerful because she is so incredibly bright and fluent with her ability to write about her personal journey---which continues. Incredible that enough outside people were able to believe in her enough to eventually make a huge difference in her life. ( )

Borrowed this on a whim based on the premise and it came through my library holds recently. Given current events with Afghanistan it seemed like this would be a very timely read. I don't know much about Tran other than the book, but it seemed like it would be something that would resonate now, as she and her family cope with being in a completely new country.

The memoir follows Tran as her family flees Vietnam and lands in New York where they must scrape by, initially sewing ties and then eventually working in a nail salon. Along the way we watch as her family tries to adjust (with varying degrees of success), how Tran tries to cope with multiple identities (woman, refugee, Vietnamese, etc.).

Much of it is sad and poignant, with many of the painful issues refugees face: racism, xenophobia, an inability to feel like they "fit in," the struggle to succeed, the family pressures, etc. It should be noted that Tran covers many heavy topics: depression, sexual assault, PTSD, emotional/family/child abuse, etc. along with many of the topics covered above. So be prepared for something that is not a light read.

All the same, though, I actually thought the book improved towards the end. Tran seems to have found her place and found happiness despite it all. That said, I have to agree with the negative reviews. I felt the book felt very "distant" and I couldn't really get into the text. This wasn't really for me but I wonder if people perhaps with experiences similar to Tran's might like this better.

Personally I thought it was skippable but for the right person I'd bet it'd be a great read. ( )

I received a free copy of this book through the LTER in exchange for my honest opinion.
The book started out very well and I thought that this might be a 4 or 5 star review. However, halfway through the book I got so depressed by reading all the bad things that were happening to the author (which must have been very painful to her!) and I simply had to force myself to finish it. The end was very sudden and it obviously was another case of having achieved the required pages/ words and that really hurt the ending. ( )

Admittedly, this book was a hard one to read. Not because it was poorly written. On the contrary, it is beautifully written. Ly Tran is an amazing storyteller; she enraptures with every word.

What was hard to read was Ly's treatment by her parents, especially her father, as she grew up as a Vietnamese immigrant in New York City. As I read about her childhood, I wanted someone to rescue her so she could find joy in her life. Denied eyeglasses, forced to work as a young child, viciously yelled at, and shamed by her family, Ly did not have it easy. I admire her tenacity, despite incredible odds.

As I finished House of Sticks, I yearned to learn more about how her parents are now. Did her father get help for his PTSD? Did her mother learn to speak up and advocate for herself more? While I may never know, I am relieved that Ly and her brothers have a strong bond and are making their ways in the world. I am rooting for Ly, and I hope she continues writing books. She's a talented writer!

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )