Through the cycle of the seasons

and seeking belonging

Set in the same fictional town of Fort Simmer

Will she ever be less afraid of the lake

The Emperor of Gladness mediamail Through the cycle of theOcean Vuong returns with a bighearted novel about chosen family, unexpected friendship, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive. The hardest thing in the world is to live only once One late summer evening in the post industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen year old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow