A somewhat overstuffed narrative.

By searching for ways to honor both her mother's economic and emotional impact after her passing, Lieu's memoir encompasses both social and familial dimensions.

Lieu’s achingly honest debut is a stirring addition to Vietnamese American memoirs that will resonate with anyone coping with loss..

While parts of the first half of the narrative lack focus, the second half—about the author’s investigation of her mother’s death—is fast-paced, vulnerable, humorous, and empathetic. Lieu’s compassionate epiphanies about her family’s reasons for silence are particularly poignant..

Stirring.