Book Group – Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

August Book Group: Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

Join us for a remote-only discussion on Ocean Vuong’s latest work Emperor of Gladness. To gain access to the meeting link, please contact the Connect Team.

Book Description

One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.

About Book Group

On the second Monday of every month, members of OPC and beyond are invited to participate in a group discussion about a trending work either fiction or non-fiction. Each month’s moderator provides an introduction on the author before sharing questions that invite members to explore the book’s themes and how the work might connect to our everyday lives or broader social issues.