Book Review- Beth Nguyen's Owner of a Lonely Heart

Thank you to NetGalley and Scriber for a copy of Beth Nguyen’s memoir, Owner of a Lonely Heart.

At less than a year old, Beth Nguyen left Vietnam with her father’s family to begin a new life in Michigan. In the tumult of fleeing at the end of the Vietnam War, Nguyen’s mother was left behind. Nguyen was raised in a new country with a completely different culture, not meeting her mom until she turned nineteen. Her mother also immigrated to America, but was living in a different state with a new family.

When Nguyen and her sister finally met their mother, the reunion was not as they had anticipated. Their mother was distant and seemed flighty, often abruptly cutting their meetings short or canceling all together.

Nguyen estimates that in her adult life, she has spent less than twenty-four hours with her mom, time spent during those shortened visits. Now, a mother herself, Nguyen reflects on this fraught relationship with her mother and the pain that her mother must have felt at being separated from her daughters.

Owner of a Lonely Heart is a force of a memoir. It’s an emotional, difficult read, but also so very beautiful. The beauty comes from the ultimate kindness and understanding that Nguyen affords her mom. Initially, Nguyen is hurt and struggles to understand why her mom keeps her distance. I don’t think the hurt disappears, however, when Nguyen has her son, she can understand that it’s not because her mom doesn’t love her, it is because the hurt is too great. Her mom is protecting herself from further pain and they might be able to have a deeper relationship, but it will take time.

Nguyen also acknowledges the relationship with her stepmother, who has been part of her life from a young age. This is the woman who mothered her and there is so much love in their family. However, Nguyen has curiosity about her birth mother and their life in Vietnam.

Owner of a Lonely Heart is about exploring unanswered parts of your family and past. I connected with this theme. My father died when I was four and due to the sensitive circumstances, it was not discussed. I’ve always felt there were things unanswered that I want to know. I can fit the things I know about my dad on two hands, so I can understand Nguyen’s jumping at the opportunity to meet with her mom and try to understand her, even though her mom is reluctant.

A truly gut wrenching memoir, Owner of a Lonely Heart is a must-read. One of the best non-fiction books I’ve read in 2023.

Book Review- Agustina Bazterrica's Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories

Thank you to Scribner for the arc of Agustina Bazterrica’s Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories.

In her horror collection, Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories, Argentinian author Agustina Bazterrica writes unsettling and downright shocking stories. Bazterrica has a quirky, dark sense of humor and a feminist bent. One of my favorite stories involves a young girl that warns a sexual predator that she has a rabbit named Roberto that lives between her legs. Of course, he does not believe her and when he attacks her, he meets Roberto.

The most shocking and unusual story is The Continuous Equality of the Circumference, where a woman desires to turn herself into a circle. A circle. An actual circle. She physically alters her body to become a circle. It’s absolutely bonkers and filled with imagery that stuck with me long after finishing the story.

I work at a bookstore and Bazterrica’s bestseller, Tender is the Flesh, has long caught my eye. I have not read it yet, but it is on my list. I jumped at the chance to get an arc of Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird. I’ve confirmed my suspicions that I would like Bazterrica’s style.

I think it’s also important to read outside of ones own language and culture. Originally written in Spanish, this is a translated work. I wish I was skilled enough to read it in its native language, however, even if you need to read a translation, I think there is value in experiencing works from other countries. The themes and way of storytelling can vary culture to culture, and this is just an interesting way to gain new perspectives.

If you like horror (gruesome horror) and short stories, make sure to add Bazterrica’s Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird to your reading list.

Book Review- Constance Wu's Making a Scene

Thank you to Netgalley, Scribner, and Libro FM for providing me with both a physical and audio galley of Constance Wu’s memoir, Making a Scene. Although I received both versions, I ended up listening to the audio book, narrated by the author.

Actress Constance Wu shares memories of her childhood growing up in Virginia, her early twenties waiting tables and studying acting in New York, and her successful acting career.

Wu gained heaps of negative press when she spoke out about her unhappiness with the renewal of her hit sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. She was seen as ungrateful and a bit of a diva. Wu addresses this incident and gives her side of the story, which is quite compelling and heartbreaking. She also explains the frustration when so many people assume that the character she plays, Jessica Huang, is similar to Wu’s own mother. Wu makes it very clear that her mother bears very little similarities to Jessica, and that the very question is perpetuating stereotypes of Asian mothers.

Although Wu shares bit of her Hollywood career, a bulk of the book involves her childhood, including fond memories of her teenage job working at a bakery and her early love of performing in community theater. She had a fairly ordinary and quiet childhood. I’m only four years older than Wu and many of her stories of growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, especially with regard to technology, rang true to my experience. Wu speaks of her pre-fame years with mostly fondness. She also shares her challenging relationship with her younger sister, which I’m sure many people would find relatable.

I’m a fan of Wu as an actor, but I think I enjoyed this more for being a memoir about a woman from my generation. I found Wu to be very relatable and down to earth, definitely different from how the media has been portraying her.