However, I ended up loving the heck out of this memoir and found myself immersed in Phuc Tran’s story. Fight to fit in? Why would anyone want to do that. Great books? He’s probably just talking about old white people books. In his journey for self-discovery Tran ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes-and ultimately saves-him.Įven though I am also Vietnamese American, I came into this book with low expectations based on the latter half of its title. 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 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.Īppealing 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. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans struggle to assimilate into their new life.

In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. 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.

Sigh gone phuc tran