A semi-autobiographical novel weaves a tale of the joy and pain entangled in immigration, family, and first love. Little Dog, a queer Vietnamese poet like the author Ocean Voung, recalls memories of an adolescence spent navigating the comfort and danger of others in letters written to his illiterate mother. The story is a confession and a testament, blurred as to where Voung’s life exists and where this crafted story lies. Embracing the Japanese kishōtenketsu story structure, he tells a story defined not by conflict but by proximity. Consequently, the book outlines the feeling of a life and the impacts of any number of small tragedies on Little Dog’s psyche. 

“On Earth” was recommended to me by a friend who happened to own an extra copy; I read it ravenously during my study halls, carried it around for weeks. Voung’s background in poetry shows through in the nearly forensic language; the vividly detailed descriptions and metaphorical emotional language creates an ethereal atmosphere – the book alternates dream-like moments and nightmarish memories like a modern fairy tale. If you’re a poetry fan, Ocean Vuong’s novel will take you on a merry-go-round of love and loss.