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Ocean Vuong’s new novel, ‘The Emperor of Gladness,’ is Winfrey’s latest book club pick

  • Oprah Winfrey announced on Tuesday that she selected Ocean Vuong's new novel, The Emperor of Gladness, for her latest book club pick.
  • Vuong, a Vietnamese American author, wrote this novel drawing from his personal experience growing up in a working-class Connecticut town.
  • Set in the fictional Connecticut town of East Gladness, the story follows Hai, a suicidal 19-year-old recently out of rehab, who forms an unlikely bond with Grazina, an elderly widow with dementia.
  • Winfrey praised the novel’s characters as an unexpected group of memorable personalities, while Vuong recalled that getting her call was a major moment in his life. He fondly remembered sitting in his mother’s nail salon, where women would watch Oprah’s endorsement with newfound pride and determination, inspired to visit Barnes & Noble to purchase the book and feel connected to the cultural conversation.
  • The novel explores themes of despair and kindness within a struggling immigrant community, portraying a tight-knit 'circumstantial family' that supports one another despite little hope for profound change.
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Spiegel broke the news in Germany on Monday, May 12, 2025.
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