Book Review- Ocean Vuong's Time is a Mother

Thank you to LibroFM and Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group for a copy of Ocean Vuong’s poetry collection, Time is a Mother.

I knew nothing about Ocean Vuong or this particular book, other than it had been highlighted as an April 2022 Indy Next List pick and was on prominent display at the bookstore where I work. I didn’t even realize that it was a poetry collection. I enjoy poetry, but generally I like to have a physical copy and read it aloud to enjoy the way the prose trips off my tongue and to engage with the rhythm of the piece. I rarely listen to poetry being read, but in this case, it was a potent surprise.

Vuong narrates Time is a Mother, allowing me to appreciate his works through his own voice, including his intended emphasis and pacing. I quickly realized that I would not be able to listen and do housework, as I normally do with audio books, so I got cozy on my couch and closed my eyes, listening to the entire work in one sitting.

I was stunned by Voung’s gorgeous prose and raw personal revelations. Voung covers a myriad of topics, including the immigrant experience, suicide, relationships, and the death of his mother. Having a personal connection to both family suicide and a mother dying of cancer, I intensely related to these two topics. Vuong mentions his mother throughout, but one particular poem, which is written in a list format of Amazon shopping purchases, reflecting the decline of his mother’s health, is particularly poignant.

Time is a Mother was an intense experience. The audio book is less that two hours, but I have spent days thinking about Voung’s words. I highly recommend this incredible poetry collection.

Book Review- Mary Laura Philpott's Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives

Thank you to LibroFM and Simon & Schuster Audio for a copy of Mary Laura Philpott’s memoir, Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives.

I have to confess that the combination of the title and the turtle on the cover drew me to Philpott’s memoir, and I knew nothing about the author or subject matter prior to enjoying the audio version of Bomb Shelter. Luckily, judging a book by its cover is a perfectly acceptable way of finding new books and in most cases, as with this, it’s a gut instinct worth following. The turtle plays a minor, yet impactful role in Philpott’s life and if you’re an animal lover like me, you will connect with this moment.

Philpott has a wicked sense of humor. In Bomb Shelter she deftly balances humor with very personal topics, such a serious medical condition that is affecting her teenage son and a revelation from her father regarding the nature of his job when Philpott was a child, which inspires the title of the memoir. Philpott’s memoir is funny and profoundly affecting.

I was cleaning my kitchen while listening and the last paragraphs are so beautifully written with such an inspiring sentiment, that I paused with sponge in hand and was tearing up. Bomb Shelter is not only a book that I enjoyed immensely and will recommend widely, but it is book that I will purchase to give as gifts to friends.

Book Review- Kirstin Chen's Counterfeit

A few weeks ago, a representative from HarperCollins visited the bookstore where I work, bringing a bunch of the ARC’s of summer and fall books. In the pile, she had Kirstin Chen’s novel Counterfeit, which as I heard her description, I knew this was a book that I’d enjoy.

Ava is struggling with her marriage and identity. She has left her prestigious job as an attorney to be a stay-at-home mom with a toddler who has behavior issues. Her husband is a doctor, and has recently taken a new job, staying in an apartment near the hospital on weekdays, leaving her even more alone. Ava’s life changes when a former college roomate reconnects.

Winnie abruptly left school when she became embroiled in an cheating scandal. She moved back to China in disgrace, even marrying her aunt’s former husband. Ava is shocked to discover that Winnie is actually doing quite well. Winnie is poised, stylish, and even carrying an exclusive Birkin bag. Ava is so dazzled that she doesn’t immediately find it odd that Winnie, who isn’t a connection on social media, seems to know so much about her life. Winnie has a favor to ask of Ava. Her boss in China, a very powerful man, needs to have a life-saving surgery and would like to have it in the United States. Winnie wants Ava’s husband to get the surgery approved. This favor entangles Ava in Winnie’s illegal business involving high quality “superfake” designer handbags, which are being manufactured in China and moved into the United States.

Counterfeit is a fast and fun read. Chen bounces between the perspectives of Ava and Winnie, with Ava retelling her side of the story to a detective after being caught. You never quite know who is telling the truth, as both narrators are unreliable. In this regard, the story reads a little bit as a mystery.

I got a kick out of all of the Nordstrom references, especially regarding their liberal return policy, making them an easy mark for our main characters, as they pretend to return the luxury handbag that they purchased, but really returning a counterfeit. I used to work at a Nordstrom and I even had the experience of stopping counterfeit items from being returned. Chen’s assessment of the retailer is spot-on, although we do catch criminals sometimes!

Chen attacks the topics of racial bias, cultural differences, and the expectations that women face, especially regarding family vs. career. Ava is an American born to immigrant parents and she has several moments where she is confronted with her own privilege. In the opening chapter, she describes her first impressions of Winnie from their college days. Winnie is from China and she doesn’t fit in. Winnie doesn’t speak correctly, doesn’t know how to dress or handle social situations. Ava does not want to be close friends with Winnie. Later, Ava visits the factories in China and we see her American perspective. Ava is seen as asian by white Americans, but in China, she is seen as an American, an outsider. At its core, this is a story about identity and perceptions. It is a story about where we often have misguided ideas on what should be valued.

Chen mingles these weighty topics with humor and intrigue. Ava and Winnie are compelling characters with strong motivations and the whole elaborate scheme is fascinating. I throughly enjoyed Counterfeit. I’m also happy to learn that this is Chen’s third book. She’s a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading her other books.