** The Sunday Times and New York 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 JAMESThis 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. **SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 2020****A FINALIST FOR THE PEN/FAULKNER AWARD 2020** 'A masterpiece' MAX PORTER 'Luminous, shattering, urgent, necessary' CELESTE NG 'Deeply moving...Little Dog's story is the story of modern America' Daily Telegraph '