The Emperor of Gladness

When Grazina, an elderly Lithuanian widow with dementia, prevents 19-year-old Hai, a Vietnamese American compulsive drug user whom she tenderly calls "Labas," from jumping off a bridge, their unlikely encounter unfolds into a deeply moving story of chosen family, isolation, and the sustaining power of the stories we tell to survive. Vuong weaves the lives of several unforgettable characters in a novel that lingers long after the final page.