Tattered Cover welcomes author Ly Tran on Friday June 11th at 5pm MT to discuss her new book, House of Sticks. She will be in conversation with Beth Nguyen.

Ly Tran is just a toddler in 1993 when she and her family immigrate from a small town along the Mekong river in Vietnam to a two-bedroom railroad apartment in Queens. Ly’s father, a former lieutenant in the South Vietnamese army, spent nearly a decade as a POW, and their resettlement is made possible through a humanitarian program run by the US government. Soon after they arrive, Ly joins her parents and three older brothers sewing ties and cummerbunds piece-meal on their living room floor to make ends meet.

As they navigate this new landscape, Ly finds herself torn between two worlds. She knows she must honor her parents’ Buddhist faith and contribute to the family livelihood, working long hours at home and eventually as a manicurist alongside her mother at a nail salon in Brownsville, Brooklyn, that her parents take over. But at school, Ly feels the mounting pressure to blend in.

A growing inability to see the blackboard presents new challenges, especially when her father forbids her from getting glasses, calling her diagnosis of poor vision a government conspiracy. His frightening temper and paranoia leave an indelible mark on Ly’s sense of self. Who is she outside of everything her family expects of her?

Told in a spare, evocative voice that, with flashes of humor, weaves together her family’s immigration experience with her own fraught and courageous coming of age, House of Sticks is a timely and powerful portrait of one girl’s struggle to reckon with her heritage and forge her own path.

Registration includes access to this live stream event the night of the event, before it is posted on Tattered Cover's YouTube Channel, two days after.

**Important Event Information**

-- This is a free, live stream event using Zoom Live Streamed to YouTube. You may choose to purchase a book through the event link and still gain access to the event.

-- Tickets are limited to one ticket per email address

-- Attendees will be sent a link to join the live stream at least 30 minutes prior of the event via email

-- Presentation begins at 5pm MT

-- The event will last about one hour but the official end time of this event is an estimate

-- Event registration/tickets are available online ONLY, through Eventbrite. Tickets will not be sold in-store or through our website. 

-- If you purchased a book, it will be mailed via media mail after the event

** DISCLAIMER: Event details, signing rules and restrictions are subject to changes beyond our control, and often change up to and during the event. Thank you for your understanding.

When you purchase a ticket, or register for an event, you will automatically be added to the Tattered Cover's email subscriber list. We will always protect your privacy. Our email list is used only to promote Tattered Cover events and news, and your information will never be shared or sold. You may unsubscribe or update your subscription at any time.