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Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography
For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, Sigh, Gone
shares an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and
assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works
of classic literature. In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc
Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance
they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans
struggle to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age
memoir told through the themes of great books such as The
Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Tran
navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself
despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and
teenage rebellion, all while attempting to meet the rigid
expectations set by his immigrant parents. Appealing to fans of
coming-of-age memoirs such as Fresh Off the Boat, Running with
Scissors, or tales of assimilation like Viet Thanh Nguyen's The
Displaced and The Refugees, Sigh, Gone explores one man's
bewildering experiences of abuse, racism, and tragedy and reveals
redemption and connection in books and punk rock. Against the
hairspray-and-synthesizer backdrop of the '80s, he finds solace and
kinship in the wisdom of classic literature, and in the subculture
of punk rock, he finds affirmation and echoes of his disaffection.
In his journey for self-discovery Tran ultimately finds refuge and
inspiration in the art that shapes--and ultimately saves--him.
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