On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Novel Ideas (Virtual)

At WPL we just really love book clubs. Whether in person or online, they’re the perfect place to read great books with great book nerds, and dive deep into stories that really make you think. Join us to discuss topical, thought-provoking contemporary fiction. Contact the Reference Desk at 330.335.1294 for more information. Registration is required to receive a secure virtual meeting invitation.

Brilliant, heartbreaking, tender, and highly original - poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a sweeping and shattering portrait of a family, and a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous 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 - a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam - and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity.