RaveBooktribThe novel’s prose strikes an impossible balance between tender and powerful ... Guaranteed to soften the hearts of even the coldest reader ... Vuong expertly captures the conversations between rushes that build a breathing, beating heart at the center of food service. The Emperor of Gladness will remind us that being \'American\' is not one singular story. It is a convergence of many, many invisible ones. Vuong honors the silent, persistent presence of the heroes just getting by .... You’ll appreciate the almost unintentional love and appreciation with which Vuong describes his home state ... If you love Ocean Vuong, stunning prose, have ever stood behind a POS for eight hours a day (or haven’t), grew up in a forgotten town, or have a human heart, you should read The Emperor of Gladness. You’ll be better for it.
