Phuc Tran’s new memoir 'Sigh, Gone'
https://youtu.be/OcqeReCEo28
In the month of April, we observed Genocide Awareness Month. The month of May happens to be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and it just so happens that Phuc Tran, a Vietnamese-American Mainer just published his memoir, Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In, detailing his, and I quote, “irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works of classic literature.”
Where to purchase
We recommend ordering the book through your local bookstore or public library. You can search for a local bookstore on IndieBound or find a list of local, independently-owned bookstores through the New England Independent Booksellers Assocation.
About 'Sigh, Gone'
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.