Brothers and Ghosts

Khuê Ph?m (trans. Daryl Lindsey, Charles Hawley)

‘A powerful novel about the paths we take, the secrets we hide, and the familial duty that binds us. Khuê Ph?m coaxes out the stories that live in darkness and the light she shines is captivating. Gorgeously written, Brothers and Ghosts is a book that stays with you long after you close it.’

Eric Nguyen, author of Things We Lost to the Water

‘Brothers and Ghosts a generation-spanning family saga that explores the ruptures that divide a family and the far-reaching impacts of war and colonisation on identity, place and relationships … [it] is a deep look at the complexity of the Vietnam War for one family and explores how they have lost and found each other over the years, as well as one woman’s desire to redefine her life outside of the labels she’s automatically ascribed. The characters will stay with you long after reading.’

Elaine Chennatt, Aniko Press

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‘A groundbreaking work in German literature, Ph?m’s novel marks a seminal accomplishment that tells the dignified, thorough, and epic story of a Vietnamese family through clear, gem-like sentences and unflinching observations. With Ph?m’s vision, nothing is left unturned and all things are salvaged and lost at once. A courageous and bold achievement by a bright new voice.’

Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

‘Intriguing, immediate, and occasionally harrowing, Brothers and Ghosts by Khuê Ph?m is a moving tale of exile, identity, and self-discovery. Focussing on first and second-generation Vietnamese emigrants, the novel should appeal to fans of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah.’

New Books in German

‘Brothers and Ghosts examines the experience of one southern Vietnamese family during the Vietnam War, and its long aftermath … Inspired by her own family, journalist Khuê Ph?m tells a wrenching story of family, war, and memory.’

Booklist

‘Brothers and Ghosts by Khuê Ph?m belongs to a new wave of German literature that shows how culturally diverse the country has become since the late 1960s … Ph?m’s debut novel reverberates in clear, dispassionate prose that belies its complex subject matter.’

NPR

‘Illuminating and unforgettable, Khuê Ph?m’s Brothers and Ghosts is a house that reveals secrets behind each door: a country torn apart by colonialism and civil war, a family divided between loyalty and freedom.’

Juhea Kim, author of Beasts of a Little Land

A young woman, torn between two cultures, belonging to neither.

A family, torn apart by a war they had no choice about.

Kiều calls herself Kim because it’s easier for Europeans to pronounce. She knows little about her Vietnamese family’s history until she receives a Facebook message from her estranged uncle in America, telling her that her grandmother is dying. Her father and uncle haven’t spoken since the end of the Vietnam War. One brother supported the Vietcong, while the other sided with the Americans.

When Kiều and her parents travel to America to join the rest of the family in California to open her grandmother’s will, questions relating to their past — to what has been suppressed — resurface and demand to be addressed.

Eric Nguyen, author of Things We Lost to the Water

Elaine Chennatt, Aniko Press

View all reviews

Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

New Books in German

Booklist

NPR

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Details

Format:Paperback

Size: 198mm × 129mm

Extent:272pp

ISBN (13):9781915590046

RRP:£10.99

Pub date:11 Apr 2024

High-res cover:Download Image

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AUTHOR

Khuê Ph?m

Khuê Ph?m is an award-winning Vietnamese-German writer. A graduate from the LSE, she freelanced for The Guardian and NPR’s Berlin bureau before becoming an editor at Die Zeit. She was nominated for Germany’s version of the Pulitzer Prize. Her novel Brothers and Ghosts is inspired by the story of her Vietnamese family.

TRANSLATORS

Daryl Lindsey

Daryl Lindsey studied journalism and German. He works as a journalist and also as a literary translator for publications including Germany’s Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, and the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Charles Hawley

Charles Hawley holds a BA in political science and an MA in journalism. He works as a journalist, and translates for leading German publications including Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, and the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

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