07/15/2026
PCWL Book Club met tonight for our sixth book of the year: The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong.
"Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Ocean Vuong’s writing—formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness—are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance."
Overall, we all thought the writing was wonderful. The story line was somewhat depressing but; nevertheless, it's a good read.
Join us next month for our seventh book of the year and the Richardson Reads One Book selection: The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner.