vietnamese books / authors

If you didn’t know, I’m 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.

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)!

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SHOP THIS LIST ON BOOKSHOP *:

middle grade / young adult

adult / poetry / nonfiction

* This is a link to my affiliate shop on Bookshop. I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase from this shop.

bolded = written by an author of Vietnamese descent
* = Chinese-Vietnamese protagonist/author

BOOKS WITH VIETNAMESE PROTAGONISTS:

children’s:

• The Colors of Tet: Màu của Tết by Hà Huyền, illustrated by Ha Nguyen and Huyen Van
• The Yellow Áo Dài by Hanh Bui and illustrated by Minnie Phan
• Simone by Viet Thanh Nguyen and illustrated by Minnie Phan (out May 7, 2024)

middle grade:

• Team Chu and the Laser Tag Adventure by Julie C. Dao
• Sea Sirens by Amy Chu and illustrated by Janet K. Lee *
• The Crossbow of Destiny by Brandon Hoàng (out August 4, 2024)
• Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang
• Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
• Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai
• Green Lantern: Legacy by Minh Lê and illustrated by Andie Tong
• Mèo and Bé by DoanPhuong Nguyen
• No Place Like Home by Linh S. Nguyen
• The Nguyen Kids series by Linda Trinh and illustrated by Clayton Nguyen
  • The Secret of the Jade Bangle
  • The Power of Pearl Earrings

young adult:

• Song of the Crimson Flower by Julie C. Dao (read my review here)
• Gloria Buenrostro Is Not My Girlfriend by Brandon Hoàng
• My Father, the Panda Killer by Jamie Jo Hoang
• Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
• A Pho Love Story by Loan Le (read my review here)
• The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le (out March 26, 2024)
• Not Your Sidekick by C.B. Lee
• Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P. Nguyen (read my review here)
• A Banh Mi for Two by Trinity Nguyen (out August 27, 2024)
• The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
• Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham
• The Coconut Children by Vivian Pham
• Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung *
• Not Here to Be Liked by Michelle Quach (read my review here) *
• The Boy You Always Wanted by Michelle Quach (read my review here) *
• She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran (read my review here)
• Lucky in Love by Kasie West
• Cloudwish by Fiona Wood (read my review here)

adult:

• Dominion of the Fallen series by Aliette de Bodard
  1. The House of Shattered Wings
  2. The House of Binding Thorns
  3. The House of Sundering Flames
• 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
• Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard (read my review here)
• Monkey Bridge by Lan Cao
• The Lotus and the Storm by Lan Cao
• The Kiss Quotient series by Helen Hoang
  1. The Kiss Quotient
  2. The Bride Test (read my review here)
  3. The Heart Principle
• The Monstrous Misses Mai by Van Hoang (out April 2, 2024)
• The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh (read my review here)
• Happy Endings by Thien-Kim Lam (read my review here)
• The Gangster We Are All Looking For by Lê Thi Diem Thúy
• All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
• Things We Lost to the Water by Eric Nguyen
• Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen
• Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen
• You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen (out April 16, 2024)
• Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
• The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
• Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
• Bronze Drum by Phong Nguyen
• The Sympathizer and The Committed 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
• Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
• Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
• Ru by Kim Thúy
• Mãn by Kim Thúy
• Vi by Kim Thúy
• Em by Kim Thúy
• Daughters of the New Year by E.M. Tran
• The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo
  1. The Empress of Salt and Fortune (read my review here)
  2. When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (read my review here)
  3. Into the Riverlands
  4. Mammoths at the Gate
• The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (read my review here)
• Siren Queen by Nghi Vo (read my review here)
• Linh Ly Is Doing Just Fine by Thao Votang (out July 23, 2024)
• Palawan Story by Caroline Vu
• That Summer in Provincetown by Caroline Vu
• On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
• Ponto Beach Reunion series by Cathy Yardley
  1. Love, Comment, Subscribe (read my review here)
  2. Gouda Friends
  3. Ex Appeal
• Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

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)
• Broken Wish by Julie C. Dao (white protagonist)
• Seven Tears at High Tide by C.B. Lee (Chinese-American protagonist)
• The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen (white protagonist)
• You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao (white protagonist, Japanese main character)

adult:

• We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen

POETRY AND NON-FICTION:

poetry:

• This Way to the Sugar by Hieu Minh Nguyen
• Not Here by Hieu Minh Nguyen
• Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
• Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong

nonfiction:

• The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
• Stealing Buddha’s Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen
• Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War by Viet Thanh Nguyen
• A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir by Viet Thanh Nguyen (out October 3, 2023)
• Pop Song: Adventures in Art & Intimacy by Larissa Pham
• Sigh, Gone: A Misfit’s Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Phuc Tran