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Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In by Phuc Tran
mrsclicquot's review against another edition
4.0
I listened to this on a long drive.
Super relatable (I’m first generation Mexican American). I loved seeing the author find himself and become truly very “punk”.
Super relatable (I’m first generation Mexican American). I loved seeing the author find himself and become truly very “punk”.
jess_mango's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
Excellent coming-of-age memoir by a Vietnamese American growing up in Pennsylvania.
Phuc Tran and his family escaped Vietnam as refugees in the late 70s. They moved to the town of Carlisle, PA. Phuc was the only Asian kid in his class. Phuc has love for Star Wars and comic books and creates some bonds with other kids that way. From elementary school into high school he tries to find ways to fit in. He settles into a group of "punk rock" skater kids and also discovers a love for reading classical literature. Meanwhile, he has a not-so-stellar relationship with his father. Throughout it all, Phuc encounters micro-aggressions and outright racism.
I really enjoyed this book. Phuc is only a year or so older than me so I loved the nostalgia of the 80's and 90's references. Phuc shares moments of misunderstanding and humor along with moments of brightness. His voice is clear and sharp. You can hear his passion for music, art, and literature. He also expresses his initial confusion and upset when he realized the existence of systemic racism in America. Very relevant in these current times.
I highly recommend this memoir!
Bonus: there's an associated playlist on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1NvhfktPBVVSHv1hv8KZON
Fun Fact: one of my best friends in college grew up in Carlisle, PA and Phuc was a couple of years ahead of her in school. I visited Carlisle for a few days in the summer after my freshman year so it was helpful in trying to picture the scenarios he was describing.
Excellent coming-of-age memoir by a Vietnamese American growing up in Pennsylvania.
Phuc Tran and his family escaped Vietnam as refugees in the late 70s. They moved to the town of Carlisle, PA. Phuc was the only Asian kid in his class. Phuc has love for Star Wars and comic books and creates some bonds with other kids that way. From elementary school into high school he tries to find ways to fit in. He settles into a group of "punk rock" skater kids and also discovers a love for reading classical literature. Meanwhile, he has a not-so-stellar relationship with his father. Throughout it all, Phuc encounters micro-aggressions and outright racism.
I really enjoyed this book. Phuc is only a year or so older than me so I loved the nostalgia of the 80's and 90's references. Phuc shares moments of misunderstanding and humor along with moments of brightness. His voice is clear and sharp. You can hear his passion for music, art, and literature. He also expresses his initial confusion and upset when he realized the existence of systemic racism in America. Very relevant in these current times.
I highly recommend this memoir!
Bonus: there's an associated playlist on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/1NvhfktPBVVSHv1hv8KZON
Fun Fact: one of my best friends in college grew up in Carlisle, PA and Phuc was a couple of years ahead of her in school. I visited Carlisle for a few days in the summer after my freshman year so it was helpful in trying to picture the scenarios he was describing.
thepetitepunk's review against another edition
4.0
This was fantastic.
I am a born-and-raised American who grew up in the 2000s so I definitely cannot say I relate to all of Phuc Tran’s experiences, but there was some very specific representation in this memoir that was very personal to me. I didn’t really grow up in the punk scene but I did grow up with punk—and wow, is it comforting to hear about someone talking about punk who is Asian. I am half-Filipino and am very aware of the fact that nearly none of the music that meant so much to me growing up came from Asian artists and that barely any of the fans I’d see at shows were Asian. I always felt like my dad, a Filipino immigrant, and I stuck out at concerts. So yeah, maybe not that important to the memoir, but it meant a lot to me. Also, yay for mentioning a straightedge band <3 Oh, and a punk-loving kid who ALSO loves to learn? Double yay <3
Besides all the music stuff, I loved the attitude portrayed in this memoir. I thought the combination of rebellious music, determined academic learning, race and politics, family troubles, and loyal friends made this memoir so unique and enjoyable.
I am a born-and-raised American who grew up in the 2000s so I definitely cannot say I relate to all of Phuc Tran’s experiences, but there was some very specific representation in this memoir that was very personal to me. I didn’t really grow up in the punk scene but I did grow up with punk—and wow, is it comforting to hear about someone talking about punk who is Asian. I am half-Filipino and am very aware of the fact that nearly none of the music that meant so much to me growing up came from Asian artists and that barely any of the fans I’d see at shows were Asian. I always felt like my dad, a Filipino immigrant, and I stuck out at concerts. So yeah, maybe not that important to the memoir, but it meant a lot to me. Also, yay for mentioning a straightedge band <3 Oh, and a punk-loving kid who ALSO loves to learn? Double yay <3
Besides all the music stuff, I loved the attitude portrayed in this memoir. I thought the combination of rebellious music, determined academic learning, race and politics, family troubles, and loyal friends made this memoir so unique and enjoyable.
dinasamimi's review against another edition
4.0
Love to read about how literature shapes immigrant stories and world views. Though Tran and I have different taste in books and different connections to Vietnam, enjoyed this nonetheless.
nickscoby's review against another edition
4.0
I admit that I often did like the integration of Western lit references I will say that chapter 8 had me in my feelings. Waaaaaah. I will be reaching out to Phuc to find out HOW WAS BARD???
shelfexplanatory's review against another edition
5.0
"My disgust for Hoàng was complicated and simple at the same time: I was
scavengercat's review against another edition
5.0
Read this in June 2020 and LOVED it. Listened in January/February 2021 to prepare for book club and thoroughly enjoyed hearing the author tell his story. Highly recommend this book in both forms.
tuabaxl's review against another edition
5.0
For me, a 5 star book takes me on an immersive journey and has me eagerly flipping through the pages, despite not wanting to ever reach the end. A 5 star book triggers all of my emotions, and along the way, teaches me something as well. So what can I say about a book that did all of the above, and then gave me something I’ve never experienced in my life - true emotional connection and resonance with the hero’s journey, because for the first time, I was reading about a path that I had walked as well.⠀
⠀
Like Phuc Tran, I’m also a Vietnamese American refugee who landed in a majority white small town in 1975. I too grew up feeling like an outsider at school for my Asian-ness and an outsider at home for being too Americanized. As my personal journey about my Asian American identity has evolved, I have loyally bought and read most books by Vietnamese American authors. As I read their stories, I hungrily held onto any thread of commonality that I could grab hold of, basking in any sliver of relatability in family dynamics, food, or discrimination.⠀
⠀
In “Sigh, Gone”, I found a home. For the first time in my life, I was reading a story that I recognized in its entirety. It shook me how comforting it was to realize that my experience was not as solitary and isolated as it felt while I was going through it. To be clear, there are a lot of differences between my life and Phuc’s! His story involves punk rock, skateboarding and an elevated appreciation for literature, as evidenced by the clever framework of the memoir that revolves around influential books from his adolescence like “The Iliad” and “Pygmalion”. Me? I liked New Kids on the Block, the Buffalo Bills and playing field hockey.⠀
⠀
But Phuc’s underlying theme of the struggle of not fitting in or feeling understood within your community and your home are all eminently understandable to me. Best evidence of my endorsement of this book? I immediately bought copies of it for my parents, my sister and best Viet friend so that they could share the experience with me - we're not alone.⠀
⠀
Like Phuc Tran, I’m also a Vietnamese American refugee who landed in a majority white small town in 1975. I too grew up feeling like an outsider at school for my Asian-ness and an outsider at home for being too Americanized. As my personal journey about my Asian American identity has evolved, I have loyally bought and read most books by Vietnamese American authors. As I read their stories, I hungrily held onto any thread of commonality that I could grab hold of, basking in any sliver of relatability in family dynamics, food, or discrimination.⠀
⠀
In “Sigh, Gone”, I found a home. For the first time in my life, I was reading a story that I recognized in its entirety. It shook me how comforting it was to realize that my experience was not as solitary and isolated as it felt while I was going through it. To be clear, there are a lot of differences between my life and Phuc’s! His story involves punk rock, skateboarding and an elevated appreciation for literature, as evidenced by the clever framework of the memoir that revolves around influential books from his adolescence like “The Iliad” and “Pygmalion”. Me? I liked New Kids on the Block, the Buffalo Bills and playing field hockey.⠀
⠀
But Phuc’s underlying theme of the struggle of not fitting in or feeling understood within your community and your home are all eminently understandable to me. Best evidence of my endorsement of this book? I immediately bought copies of it for my parents, my sister and best Viet friend so that they could share the experience with me - we're not alone.⠀