vietnamese books / authors

If you didn't know, I'm a Vietnamese American, and I've always grown up desperately wanting Vietnamese representation in books. Over the years, more and more books that have Viet rep have been published, and I'd love to share them with other people who were (and are) like me, looking for rep. Other representation in the same character is also noted!

Also, please note that I haven't read everything on this list, nor is this a complete list. I'm always looking for more recs, so please message me if you have something to add (preferably by Vietnamese authors because I dislike having recommending books without knowing the quality of the rep)!

bolded = written by a Vietnamese author
mc = main character

books with Vietnamese protagonists:

middle grade:

• Sea Sirens by Amy Chu and illustrated by Janet K. Lee
• Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang (out fall 2020)
• Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
• Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

young adult:

• Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao (out November 5, 2020)
• Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
• A Pho Love Story by Loan Le (out spring 2020)
• Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee (half-Vietnamese, half-Chinese mc and author; bi rep)
• Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen (read my review here)
• Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung (ethnically Chinese mc, culturally Vietnamese, as is the author)
• Lucky in Love by Kasie West
• Cloudwish by Fiona Wood

adult:

• The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard
• The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard
• In the Vanisher's Palace by Aliette de Bodard
• Of Wars, and Memories, and Starlight by Aliette de Bodard (out fall 2019)
• Monkey Bridge by Lan Cao
• The Lotus and the Storm by Lan Cao
• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (one of the mc's is half-Vietnamese, half-white, as is the author)
• The Bride Test by Helen Hoang (read my review here)
• Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen
• Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen
• The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
• The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen
• We Should Never Meet: Stories by Aimee Phan
• The Reeducation of Cherry Truong by Aimee Phan
• Ru by Kim Thúy
• Mãn by Kim Thúy
• Vi by Kim Thúy
• The Gangster We Are All Looking For by Lê Thi Diem Thúy
• Palawan Story by Caroline Vu
• That Summer in Provincetown by Caroline Vu
• On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

other books written by Vietnamese authors:

young adult:

• Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao (East Asian-inspired fantasy) (read my review here)
• Seven Tears at High Tide by C.B. Lee (Chinese-American mc)
• The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen (white mc)

books featuring prominent Vietnamese characters:

young adult:

• Amelia Westlake Was Never Here by Erin Gough (best friend is Vietnamese-Australian who's bi)
• The Lost & Found by Katrina Leno (cousin is adopted from Vietnam)

poetry and non-fiction:

poetry:

• The Way to the Sugar by Hieu Minh Nguyen
• Not Here by Hieu Minh Nguyen
• Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong

non-fiction:

• The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui