I was expecting Simone to be an immigration story or one about fitting in when you look different. I was surprised to learn that the book was about strength in the middle of a traumatic event. This makes Viet Thanh Nguyen’s book relatable on several levels. Anyone can have a tragic event occur. Now, ours might not be a forest fire, but we could have had a flood, a loss of a home, or a death in the family. Simone (the character) is a young […]