Summer Rolls: The epic, heartwarming, page-turning debut novel

'An emotional story about family, love, and freedom' HEAT MAGAZINE

'A compelling British-Vietnamese coming-of-age story . . . an essential voice' CANDID BOOKCLUB


'The women in this house are the same,' she said. 'When we love, we love with all of ourselves.'

Mai is a teenager. She yearns for knotty, passionate love and dreams of being a photographer. But Mai is also, as her mother Trinh likes to remind her, not like other teenagers: she's first-generation British-Vietnamese, caught between two cultures, navigating life in London and wondering about what once happened in Vietnam.

But Trinh doesn't want to think about what happened in Vietnam - doesn't want to think about the young girl she used to be, the hopes and dreams she once had, and how that all ended when she was forced to flee her war-torn home.

But when secrets from the past finally resurface, their bond begins to fracture. And soon they realise that the ties that bind them together can also break them . . .

Shifting between mother and daughter, Summer Rolls is an epic story of loss and freedom, belonging and hope, and how far we sometimes must go to find our way home.


More praise for Summer Rolls:

'Visceral and lucid . . . I hurtled towards the end and was captivated throughout' HUMA QURESHI
'A poignant exploration of intergenerational trauma' WARONA JAY
'An exciting, urgent voice that demands to be heard' JEREMY TIANG
'Beautiful poetic work . . . A gift of a book' SUDHA BHUCHAR


What readers are saying about Summer Rolls:

'Rich, intimate, and emotionally layered'
'This is more than a book, it's a gift'
'It will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between'
'This book made me feel seen, proud, and more connected to my family's story'
'Beautifully written . . . will stay with you long after you finish reading'

''An emotional story about family, love, and freedom'' HEAT MAGAZINE

''Visceral and lucid . . . I hurtled towards the end and was captivated throughout'' HUMA QURESHI

''A poignant exploration of intergenerational trauma'' WARONA JAY

''An exciting, urgent voice that demands to be heard'' JEREMY TIANG

''Beautiful poetic work . . . A gift of a book'' SUDHA BHUCHAR


''The women in this house are the same,'' she said. ''When we love, we love with all of ourselves.''

Mai is navigating life in 90s London as a first generation British-Vietnamese teenager, caught between two cultures. Her mother, Trinh, is constantly reminding her to work hard and be grateful.

But Trinh was young once too, living a vibrant and complicated life in Vietnam until forced to flee her war-torn home. Now her focus is the son she thought she''d lost, and the daughter she desperately wants to protect. She tries to forget the memories buried in the rubble of the life she left behind.

Moving into young adulthood, Mai begins to follow her calling as a photographer, and falls in knotty but passionate love despite her mother''s warnings about boys.

When secrets from the past finally resurface, the family''s bonds are truly shaken. But if Trinh and Mai can overcome their differences and stand together, then maybe there could be hope for a better, brighter future...

An epic, heartwarming novel that explores love, the meaning of freedom and the importance of family, for fans of Pachinko and On Earth We''re Briefly Gorgeous.

***

What readers are saying about Summer Rolls:

''Rich, intimate, and emotionally layered'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
''This is more than a book, it''s a gift'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
''It will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
''This book made me feel seen, proud, and more connected to my family''s story'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
''Beautifully written . . . will stay with you long after you finish reading'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• | Author: Tuyen Do
• | Publisher: Orion
• | Publication Date: Apr 24, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language: eng
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781398704602
• | ISBN-10: 1398704601