Book
The emperor of gladness : a novel / Ocean Vuong.
"A year in the life of a wayward young man in New England who, by chance, becomes the caretaker for an eighty-two-year-old widow living with dementia, powering a story of friendship, loss, and how much we're willing to risk to claim one of life's most treasured mercies: a second chance"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780593831878 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 402 pages ; 25 cm
- Publisher: New York : Penguin Press, 2025.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | "Oprah's book club 2025"--Dust jacket. |
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Caregivers > Fiction. Dementia > Fiction. Friendship > Fiction. Grief > Fiction. Loneliness > Fiction. New England > Fiction. |
| Genre: | Psychological fiction. Novels. |
Available copies
- 0 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 2 current holds with 1 total copy.
Other Formats and Editions
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | FIC Vuong | 31681010418861 | FICTION | Checked out | 06/21/2025 |
- Baker & Taylor
In the struggling town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai is saved from despair by Grazina, an elderly widow with dementia, forging an unexpected bond that reshapes their lives and reveals dynamics of love, memory, and resilience on the margins of society. - Penguin Putnam
The instant New York Times bestseller ⢠Oprahâs Book Club Pick ⢠Ocean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive
âStunning . . . A heartfelt and powerful examination of those living on the fringes of society, and the unique challenges they face to survive and thrive.â âOprah Winfrey
âMagnificent . . . In writing this book, Vuong may have joined the ranks of an elite few great novelists.â âLeigh Haber, Los Angeles Times
The hardest thing in the world is to live only once…
One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Haiâs relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.
Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Ocean Vuongâs writingâformal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tendernessâare on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of lifeâs most fleeting mercies: a second chance.
