Love to talk about books? Join us for Books Sandwiched In, now at the Larry R. Jackson Branch Library.  The group meets in the Jackson Branch Library Meeting Room on the second Tuesday of each month at 12:15 p.m.  

In May, we will discuss Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.

In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay off debts, leave their rural village and become “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money. As the war moves closer to the city, the once-innocent Trang gets swept up in an irresistible romance with a young and charming American helicopter pilot, Dan. Decades later, Dan returns to Việt Nam with his wife, Linda, hoping to find a way to heal from his PTSD and, unbeknownst to her, reckon with secrets from his past. At the same time, Phong—the son of a Black American soldier and a Vietnamese woman—embarks on a search to find both his parents and a way out of Việt Nam. Abandoned in front of an orphanage, Phong grew up being called “the dust of life,” “Black American imperialist,” and “child of the enemy,” and he dreams of a better life for himself and his family in the U.S. Past and present converge as these characters come together to confront decisions made during a time of war—decisions that force them to look deep within and find common ground across race, generation, culture, and language.

Reserve a copy on the Lakeland Public Library’s Online Catalog. 

A valid Polk County library card and PIN are required to reserve items through the Online Catalog and for access to digital resources.

Questions? Contact Danielle at Danielle.Daniels@lakelandgov.net or at 863-834-4285.