12th August 2025 – On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

A Vietnamese-American poet’s debut mines his extraordinary family story with passion and beauty

This is a letter from a son to a mother who can’t read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family’s history that began before he was born. It tells of Vietnam, of the lasting impact of war, and of his family’s struggle to forge a new future.

And it serves as a doorway into parts of Little Dog’s life his mother has never known – episodes of bewilderment, fear and passion – all the while moving closer to an unforgettable revelation.

‘Reminded me that every word can be an incantation, and that beauty does hard and important work’ Rebecca Solnit

Buy On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous and support your local bookshop