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9780063345089

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"""A riveting mother-daughter tale spanning two different timelines, and anchored by the magnetic pull of a Gothic home known as the Banyan House, Banyan Moon is author Thao Thai's beautiful debut."" -- Elle, Best Books of 2023 ""A compelling look at three generations of women, from 1960s Vietnam to modern-day Florida. ... Readers who savor many unexpected twists and a surprising conclusion will be rewarded."" -- Library Journal (starred review) ""Spanning decades and continents, vignettes of a teenage Minh's life in 1960s Vietnam add vibrant strokes to a searing portrait of mothers and daughters."" -- Entertainment Weekly ""A beautifully written, page-turning novel that explores the traumatic legacy of war, the complexity of cultural assimilation, and the intimacy of family conflict with fierce grace and psychological acuity. Banyan Moon is a celebration of life in all its forms and a joy to read."" -- Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles ""Heart-shatteringly beautiful. Banyan Moon is a love letter to keepers of secrets, to motherhood, family and survival. Thao Thai is a major talent whose exciting, impressive, and poetic prose will grow into you, like a strong and lush banyan tree deeply rooted in the rich Vietnamese literary heritage."" -- Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child ""Well worth reading."" -- Vogue ""Haunting, a little spooky and occasionally heartbreaking, this sweeping debut novel follows three generations of Vietnamese women as they try to find their way in the world."" -- Good Housekeeping, Best Books of 2023 ""Tender, gripping and heartbreaking. A haunting page turner that reexamines lineage, motherhood, and what it means to be a survivor -- in every definition of the word. A welcome debut from a stunning voice who will forever impact the Vietnamese American canon."" -- Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women ""Banyan Moon offers an honest and aching exploration of the gulf between generations--how we misunderstand those we love the most, the unintentional hurt we cause them, how we struggle to find the language to connect. But it's also a novel of hope, a story of forgiveness, a reminder that even though we can never fully know the people closest to us, it is worth the try."" -- Tracey Lien, internationally bestselling author of All That's Left Unsaid ""Banyan Moon is an intricately woven story of three generations of women, surviving and living each in their own way. This novel has everything you want: desire, betrayal, grit, tenderness, pride, love, and--most deliciously, most brazenly--the dirty secrets and sacred secrets we make and keep to protect what we hold dear."" -- Meng Jin, author of Little Gods and Self-Portrait with Ghost ""Thao Thai captures the complexities of familial love with an unflinching, yet gorgeously lyric, eye. Banyan Moon is an ambitious and masterful debut!"" -- Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas ""Thao Thai pierces the veil between the living and the dead in this haunted and beautifully rendered debut. This is a story about mothers and daughters, the chasm where misunderstandings accrue, and enduring tenderness despite the little hurts we may inflict on our loved ones. Most affectingly, Thai gives us characters who mourn lost origins, but who still get to decide what home looks like. A spellbinding and intricately layered story, Banyan Moon celebrates Vietnamese women."" -- E.M. Tran, author of Daughters of the New Year ""An accomplished story of a Vietnamese American family's complex relationships and pressing mysteries. ... There's no shortage of multigenerational family narratives out there, and this one really stands out from the pack."" -- Publishers Weekly ""Thai deftly dissects the touchiness of strained mother-daughter relationships in a surprise-filled narrative that ranges from 1960s Vietnam to present-day Florida. Thai has created three strong, unique women determined to find their own paths despite daunting circumstances."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""Powerful."" -- Reader's Digest"

A beautifully written, page-turning novel that explores the traumatic legacy of war, the complexity of cultural assimilation, and the intimacy of family conflict with fierce grace and psychological acuity. Banyan Moon is a celebration of life in all its forms and a joy to read. -- Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles Heart-shatteringly beautiful. Banyan Moon is a love letter to keepers of secrets, to motherhood, family and survival. Thao Thai is a major talent whose exciting, impressive, and poetic prose will grow into you, like a strong and lush banyan tree deeply rooted in the rich Vietnamese literary heritage. -- Nguyen Que Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child Banyan Moon offers an honest and aching exploration of the gulf between generations--how we misunderstand those we love the most, the unintentional hurt we cause them, how we struggle to find the language to connect. But it's also a novel of hope, a story of forgiveness, a reminder that even though we can never fully know the people closest to us, it is worth the try. -- Tracey Lien, internationally bestselling author of All That's Left Unsaid Tender, gripping and heartbreaking. A haunting page turner that reexamines lineage, motherhood, and what it means to be a survivor -- in every definition of the word. A welcome debut from a stunning voice who will forever impact Vietnamese American canon. -- Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women Thao Thai captures the complexities of familial love with an unflinching, yet gorgeously lyric, eye. Banyan Moon is an ambitious and masterful debut! -- Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas Thao Thai pierces the veil between the living and the dead in this haunted and beautifully rendered debut. This is a story about mothers and daughters, the chasm where misunderstandings accrue, and enduring tenderness despite the little hurts we may inflict on our loved ones. Most affectingly, Thai gives us characters who mourn lost origins, but who still get to decide what home looks like. A spellbinding and intricately layered story, Banyan Moon celebrates Vietnamese women. -- E.M. Tran, author of Daughters of the New Year

A riveting mother-daughter tale spanning two different timelines, and anchored by the magnetic pull of a Gothic home known as the Banyan House, Banyan Moon is author Thao Thai's beautiful debut. -- Elle, Best Books of 2023 A beautifully written, page-turning novel that explores the traumatic legacy of war, the complexity of cultural assimilation, and the intimacy of family conflict with fierce grace and psychological acuity. Banyan Moon is a celebration of life in all its forms and a joy to read. -- Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles Heart-shatteringly beautiful. Banyan Moon is a love letter to keepers of secrets, to motherhood, family and survival. Thao Thai is a major talent whose exciting, impressive, and poetic prose will grow into you, like a strong and lush banyan tree deeply rooted in the rich Vietnamese literary heritage. -- Nguyen Phan Que Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child Tender, gripping and heartbreaking. A haunting page turner that reexamines lineage, motherhood, and what it means to be a survivor -- in every definition of the word. A welcome debut from a stunning voice who will forever impact the Vietnamese American canon. -- Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women Banyan Moon offers an honest and aching exploration of the gulf between generations--how we misunderstand those we love the most, the unintentional hurt we cause them, how we struggle to find the language to connect. But it's also a novel of hope, a story of forgiveness, a reminder that even though we can never fully know the people closest to us, it is worth the try. -- Tracey Lien, internationally bestselling author of All That's Left Unsaid Banyan Moon is an intricately woven story of three generations of women, surviving and living each in their own way. This novel has everything you want: desire, betrayal, grit, tenderness, pride, love, and--most deliciously, most brazenly--the dirty secrets and sacred secrets we make and keep to protect what we hold dear. -- Meng Jin, author of Little Gods and Self-Portrait with Ghost Thao Thai captures the complexities of familial love with an unflinching, yet gorgeously lyric, eye. Banyan Moon is an ambitious and masterful debut! -- Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas Thao Thai pierces the veil between the living and the dead in this haunted and beautifully rendered debut. This is a story about mothers and daughters, the chasm where misunderstandings accrue, and enduring tenderness despite the little hurts we may inflict on our loved ones. Most affectingly, Thai gives us characters who mourn lost origins, but who still get to decide what home looks like. A spellbinding and intricately layered story, Banyan Moon celebrates Vietnamese women. -- E.M. Tran, author of Daughters of the New Year

"""A riveting mother-daughter tale spanning two different timelines, and anchored by the magnetic pull of a Gothic home known as the Banyan House, Banyan Moon is author Thao Thai's beautiful debut."" -- Elle, Best Books of 2023 ""A compelling look at three generations of women, from 1960s Vietnam to modern-day Florida. ... Readers who savor many unexpected twists and a surprising conclusion will be rewarded."" -- Library Journal (starred review) ""Spanning decades and continents, vignettes of a teenage Minh's life in 1960s Vietnam add vibrant strokes to a searing portrait of mothers and daughters."" -- Entertainment Weekly ""A beautifully written, page-turning novel that explores the traumatic legacy of war, the complexity of cultural assimilation, and the intimacy of family conflict with fierce grace and psychological acuity. Banyan Moon is a celebration of life in all its forms and a joy to read."" -- Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles ""Heart-shatteringly beautiful. Banyan Moon is a love letter to keepers of secrets, to motherhood, family and survival. Thao Thai is a major talent whose exciting, impressive, and poetic prose will grow into you, like a strong and lush banyan tree deeply rooted in the rich Vietnamese literary heritage."" -- Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, internationally bestselling author of The Mountains Sing and Dust Child ""Well worth reading."" -- Vogue ""Haunting, a little spooky and occasionally heartbreaking, this sweeping debut novel follows three generations of Vietnamese women as they try to find their way in the world."" -- Good Housekeeping, Best Books of 2023 ""Tender, gripping and heartbreaking. A haunting page turner that reexamines lineage, motherhood, and what it means to be a survivor -- in every definition of the word. A welcome debut from a stunning voice who will forever impact the Vietnamese American canon."" -- Carolyn Huynh, author of The Fortunes of Jaded Women ""Banyan Moon offers an honest and aching exploration of the gulf between generations--how we misunderstand those we love the most, the unintentional hurt we cause them, how we struggle to find the language to connect. But it's also a novel of hope, a story of forgiveness, a reminder that even though we can never fully know the people closest to us, it is worth the try."" -- Tracey Lien, internationally bestselling author of All That's Left Unsaid ""Banyan Moon is an intricately woven story of three generations of women, surviving and living each in their own way. This novel has everything you want: desire, betrayal, grit, tenderness, pride, love, and--most deliciously, most brazenly--the dirty secrets and sacred secrets we make and keep to protect what we hold dear."" -- Meng Jin, author of Little Gods and Self-Portrait with Ghost ""Thao Thai captures the complexities of familial love with an unflinching, yet gorgeously lyric, eye. Banyan Moon is an ambitious and masterful debut!"" -- Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas ""Thao Thai pierces the veil between the living and the dead in this haunted and beautifully rendered debut. This is a story about mothers and daughters, the chasm where misunderstandings accrue, and enduring tenderness despite the little hurts we may inflict on our loved ones. Most affectingly, Thai gives us characters who mourn lost origins, but who still get to decide what home looks like. A spellbinding and intricately layered story, Banyan Moon celebrates Vietnamese women."" -- E.M. Tran, author of Daughters of the New Year ""An accomplished story of a Vietnamese American family's complex relationships and pressing mysteries. ... There's no shortage of multigenerational family narratives out there, and this one really stands out from the pack."" -- Publishers Weekly ""Heartwarming. ... Thai's writing is lovely and engaging as she explores grief, trauma, and the binding power of familial love."" -- Booklist ""Thai deftly dissects the touchiness of strained mother-daughter relationships in a surprise-filled narrative that ranges from 1960s Vietnam to present-day Florida. Thai has created three strong, unique women determined to find their own paths despite daunting circumstances."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""Powerful."" -- Reader's Digest ""Through a rich exploration of mother-daughter relationships and the complexities of inheritance, Banyan Moon weaves together a poignant tale set across different time periods and locations. Recommended for fans of Burnt Sugar and The Joy Luck Club."" -- The Messenger ""The complex dynamic between the women in Thao Thai's Banyan Moon--grandmother, mother, and daughter-- is so realistic, you'd swear the novel was a memoir."" -- Real Simple"

Author Information

Thao Thai is a writer living in Ohio with her husband and daughter. Her work engages with tangled family relationships and the intersections of motherhood and identity. She's been published in Cup of Jo, Eater, Catapult, Sunday Long Read, and more. A recipient of the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, she has also been nominated for multiple Pushcart Prizes and earned fellowships in creative writing. She received her MFA from The Ohio State University and her MA from The University of Chicago.

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