First published 2024
Anthony Veasna So examines his California upbringing, his refugee parents' experiences, and his close friendships through personal essays marked by sharp humor and honest observation. He writes about loss, pop culture, and queer desire with the same wit that made his debut collection Afterparties a critical success. The book also includes linked stories following three Cambodian American cousins who discover they may inherit their deceased aunt's underground loan business. So explores how family obligations clash with personal dreams as the cousins navigate grief, community expectations, and their own conflicting desires. These previously unpublished stories blend comedy with deeper questions about belonging and identity. The collection brings together So's magazine work from The New Yorker, n+1, and The Millions alongside new fiction that captures his distinctive voice.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, 21st-century, asian-american, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, grief
Setting: California
Period: 21st-century
240 pages · Paperback · Ecco