An instant New York Times Bestseller! Longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, the Carnegie Medal in Fiction, the 2019 Aspen Words Literacy Prize, and the PEN/Hemingway Debut Novel Award Shortlisted for the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Winner of the 2019 New England Book Award for Fiction! Club, Nylon, The Week, The Rumpus, The Millions, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, and more. "A lyrical work of self-discovery that's shockingly intimate and insistently universal... Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born -- a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam -- and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.
An instant New York Times Bestseller! Longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, the Carnegie Medal in Fiction, the 2019 Aspen Words Literacy Prize, and the PEN/Hemingway Debut Novel Award Shortlisted for the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Winner of the 2019 New England Book Award for Fiction! Club, Nylon, The Week, The Rumpus, The Millions, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, and more. "A lyrical work of self-discovery that's shockingly intimate and insistently universal... Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born -- a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam -- and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.
An instant New York Times Bestseller! Longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, the Carnegie Medal in Fiction, the 2019 Aspen Words Literacy Prize, and the PEN/Hemingway Debut Novel Award Shortlisted for the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Winner of the 2019 New England Book Award for Fiction! Club, Nylon, The Week, The Rumpus, The Millions, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, and more. "A lyrical work of self-discovery that's shockingly intimate and insistently universal... Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born -- a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam -- and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.
An instant New York Times Bestseller! Longlisted for the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, the Carnegie Medal in Fiction, the 2019 Aspen Words Literacy Prize, and the PEN/Hemingway Debut Novel Award Shortlisted for the 2019 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Winner of the 2019 New England Book Award for Fiction! Club, Nylon, The Week, The Rumpus, The Millions, The Guardian, Publishers Weekly, and more. "A lyrical work of self-discovery that's shockingly intimate and insistently universal... Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born -- a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam -- and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.
Last updated at 03/21/2026 06:22:19
On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous
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originally posted on thenile.co.nz
Vuong has written a novel disguised as his own life experiences as a refugee from Vietnam growing up in America. The main character's grandmother and mother feature in Little Dog's account of earning a bare minimum of a crust to survive in the hostile crumbling edges of society. Little Dog is told to keep his head down, but creates small ripples in the community with his thirst for knowledge and his sexuality. A very unique and ultimately gratifying read.
originally posted on shopee.ph
if youre looking for an alternative for paperbacks, this would suffice. however, print is slightly blurred. if you want a book with prominent print, this may not be the best option for you. but if youre low on budget and wants to be practical, and is okay with any book as long as it is readable, this is the best option for you.
| Edition Details | Professional Review Awards |
| Language | English |
| Release Date | June 2021 |
| Length | 256 Pages |
| Dimensions | 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.7" |
On Earth Were Briefly Gorgeous
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Vuong has written a novel disguised as his own life experiences as a refugee from Vietnam growing up in America. The main character's grandmother and mother feature in Little Dog's account of earning a bare minimum of a crust to survive in the hostile crumbling edges of society. Little Dog is told to keep his head down, but creates small ripples in the community with his thirst for knowledge and his sexuality. A very unique and ultimately gratifying read.
if youre looking for an alternative for paperbacks, this would suffice. however, print is slightly blurred. if you want a book with prominent print, this may not be the best option for you. but if youre low on budget and wants to be practical, and is okay with any book as long as it is readable, this is the best option for you.
| Edition Details | Professional Review Awards |
| Language | English |
| Release Date | June 2021 |
| Length | 256 Pages |
| Dimensions | 0.8" x 5.0" x 7.7" |
