Welcome to Litsy!

A brilliant Australian novel about Vietnam-born Ky, the bridge between her parents and their new country, who when she is a young adult learns that her gifted brother has been brutally murdered. There is a thread of murder mystery here, with flashbacks to Ky‘s adolescence, but far more about immigration and mistrust of police, culture and race, teen friendships across class borders, and family struggles.
#ReadingOceania2024 #Australia

To anyone else, Eddie‘s reason would‘ve been baffling. But Ky understood. She hated how well she now understood. After all, hadn‘t she kept every hurt she‘d experienced from her own parents? Hadn‘t she hidden the bullying, the name-calling, the times she‘d been told to go back where she came from, the “ching—chongs,” the pulled-back eyelids, the blondies with their Cabbage Patch kids, the way she was asked why she couldn‘t just take a joke? /1

“I‘m going to decorate my house in a Western style,” Denny said, during one of their last phone calls. “Do you mean, like, Wild West?””No, like white people.” “Have you ever been in a white person‘s house?”Ky asked, genuinely curious. “I watch Better Homes & Gardens,” Denny said. “Mom watches it too, but I think she does it to feel superior to white people. She reckons they‘re super impractical and waste money on decorative junk they don‘t need.”

My latest book club read. Just started. I can tell it‘s going to be a very emotional read. However, it‘s good so far!

❤️ Tracey Lien

5/5 🌟

The story revolves around a teenage boy who falls victim to a violent murder, and his sister, Ky, embarks on a relentless quest to uncover the truth behind this senseless tragedy. The narrative delves into the themes of generational trauma, loss, identity, belonging, and the struggle to survive in a culture and country that often vilify you. It's astonishing to think that this is Tracey Lien's debut novel. I'm truly amazed and in awe.

A very strong debut novel, which is an interesting take on a crime story. Lien is expert in her ability to capture place, 1990s Cabramatta comes vividly to life in this novel. It is a thoughtful, emotive, affecting story of inherited trauma, xenophobia, and the complexity of crafting identity in a refugee community. An excellent read, which although measured in pace managed to create tension where needed to drive the reading experience.

A good debut novel set in Cabramatta, Sydney. This area has a large Vietnamese refugee community & had a heroin epidemic in the 90s. Lien grew up there so her characters & sense of place feel authentic, w rich details that come from lived experience. She shows the parents‘ trauma & children caught between 2 cultures, facing pressure to succeed & racism. The story around Denny‘s murder lacked tension for me, but a great insight & slice of life.

An unforgettable tale of generational trauma, anti-Asian racism, childhood friendship, and the trauma of losing a dearly loved child and sibling. How can such a story leave you with so much hope for future generations?
It does.
"How do you sum up a life? How do you capture who a person was, what they meant to you, and who they could have been?" From the author.

This is an amazing story of inherited trauma, the cruelty of loss, and the impact of xenophobia. Lien does a brilliant job of bringing mid-90s Sydney to life. Her characters are carefully crafted and completely believable. The comparisons to Celeste Ng are absolutely warranted. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/all-thats-left-unsaid-tracey-lien/

Returning home in the wake of her brother‘s murder, Ky Tran finds her parent‘s lack of interest in finding out what happened infuriating. Ostensibly a story about Ky‘s need to uncover the truth, the story is less about her brother‘s murder & more an unflinching look at what it means to be a refugee, the choices people make & the weight of history, family, friendship, community, & culture. Told from multiple POVs this is a solid debut. Out 9/22.

Starting this one tonight…

Love coming home after 28 hours of travel to find a stack of books waiting for me—makes the long day a little more palatable. I had less than no time for reading while excavating so I‘m looking forward to making up for lost time. Decisions, decisions…