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.
Review
‘Illuminating and unforgettable, Khuê Phạm’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 powerful novel about the paths we take, the secrets we hide, and the familial duty that binds us. Khuê Phạm 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
‘A groundbreaking work in German literature, Phạm’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 Phạm’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 Phạm 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 About the Author
Khuê Phạm 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 for co-writing an investigation into the 2019 Essex lorry deaths. Her novel Brothers and Ghosts is inspired by the story of her Vietnamese family.
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 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.
