Margin Notes

“[…]as they say, then to be even from the day you’re born till the day you die is to be gorgeous only briefly.”  

This story is about a Vietnamese man named Little Dog, who writes a letter to his mother who can’t speak English. The letter unearths and explores his family’s history, dating back to his grandmother’s youth. The letter also describes what Little Dog’s life has been like since he can remember, diving into subjects like class, race, sexuality, overall identity, and how living the American dream changes Little Dog for both the better and worse. While Little Dog is young and working for tobacco farmers, he meets a boy around his age trying to get away from his drunken dad. This boy affects Little Dog’s entire life thereafter. 

Ocean Vuong wrote On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous because of inspiration from an essay he had written to his own mother, who, much like Litte Dog’s mother, is also illiterate. 

The delicately chosen words, the medium pacing, and Vuong’s writing style all worked together beautifully. The story also evoked strong emotions. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys first-person coming-of-age stories, as well as young adult audiences, because of the content within the book. This incredible coming-of-age story will now hold a special place in my heart. 

Zak McCloskey is a student from Leo Hayes Highschool. They are an aspiring archeologist, artist and teacher. Zak likes to spend their time being outdoors, specifically fishing as well as cooking, and spending time with their beloved cat, Juno.