In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans struggle to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age memoir told through the themes of great books such as The Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Tran navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and teenage rebellion, all while attempting to meet the rigid expectations set by his immigrant parents.

Prologue: The picture of Dorian Gray -- The plague -- Crime and punishment -- The scarlet letter -- A Christmas carol -- Man and his symbols -- Madame Bovary -- Pygmalion -- The metamorphosis -- The importance of being earnest -- The autobiography of Malcom X -- The iliad.