I first picked up this book because Eric Ngyuen is a local author. He attended our very own McNeese State University. Though it's a genre I wouldn't normally pick, I am happy to have read this.
Things We Lost to the Water follows a single mother and her two sons as they escape from Vietnam in the 70's and settle in New Orleans. Chapters drift through the years, providing snapshots as they grow older and grow apart. Huong and her sons, Tuan and Binh, drift apart as they struggle to understand each other's life choices. The story follows them through the decades, ending in 2005 when a disaster strikes the city, forcing them to reach back out to each other.
It's clear from the beginning that Ngyuen's novel is tackling some heavy and upsetting topics. Not only is he delving into the difficulty of immigrating to a new country, building a whole new life, and the loss of family, but he's also tackling the terror and devastation of Hurricane Katrina. And he does it well. Normally I might have difficulty reading a story like this, but I raced through Things We Lost to the Water. The story flowed smoothly, despite the jumps in time, and was surprisingly easy to read.
For local residents, who have been through two hurricanes in the past year, Ngyuen's Katrina chapters will be especially evocative.
I would definitely recommend this book. And if it sounds like something you would be interested in, why not explore the book with the author himself? Eric Ngyuen is doing an author program fpr the Calcasieu Parish Public Library via Zoom on May 11th! You do not need to have read the book to join in! Click here to sign up!