Build Your House Around My Body LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022

Rich in Vietnamese folklore, fortune-telling and mysterious magic, Violet Kupersmith's debut novel introduced me into a culture I have never read about before. Its spirtual traditions and beliefs are so unlike Western ghost stories that I thoroughly enjoyed this atmohpheric adventure into Vietnamese history and customs. As for the plot and main characters, this story is extremely multilayered. Right at the beginning, we are faced with a lot of occurences that are only explained much later in the story. However, Kupersmith's prose and style of narration is of such a high quality that I was immediately fascinated and hooked by the story's overall setting and Winnie's struggle with Saigon work and social life. If you are looking for something "different" and out of the ordinary to read, I can highly recommend this novel.