"[A] perfectly pitched and prodigiously detailed memoir." –
Boston Globe "Relevant not only to anyone who's ever lusted after the perfect snack . . . but anyone who's ever felt like an outsider." -
San Francisco Chronicle "A charming memoir . . . Her prose is engaging, precise, compact." -
The New York Times Book Review "Her typical and not-so-typical childhood experiences give her story a universal flavor." -
USA Today "[D]eftly crafted . . . Far from being a memoir of what could be described as fitting into the kitschy ethnic-lit genre, her story is at once personal and broad, about one Vietnamese refugee navigating U.S. culture as well as an exploration of identity. . . . [S]he pays equal attention to the rhythm and poignancy of language to build her story as she does the circumstances into which she was born." – Michael Standaert,
Los Angeles Times "The author's prose is lovely and her imagery fresh. And in her recreation of a world populated by Family Ties [and] Ritz crackers . . . she has captured the 1980s with perfection. . . . This debut suggests she's a writer to watch."
– Kirkus Reviews
"Nguyen brings back moments and sensations with such vivid clarity that readers will find themselves similarly jolted back in time. She's a sensuous writer–colors and textures weave together in her work to create a living fabric. This book should be bought and read anytime your soul hungers for bright language and close observation." - Emily Carter Roiphe,
Minneapolis Star Tribune
