lê thi diem thúy, The gangster we are all looking for, 2003

The lives of Vietnamese boat people as immigrants to the cultural strangeness of the US, this largely autobiographical novel is sometimes stunningly lucid, as if lê is treating us to some faded super-8mm home movies with the sound turned off. Despite the simplicity of the story the sophistication of her writing is very evident and always elegant, somehow making this book both ordinary and extraordinary. Highly recommended.  PY