See below for a summary from Goodreads.com \;:
\nOne lat e summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness\, Connecticu t\, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain\, ready to jump\, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice b elongs to Grazina\, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia\, who convince s him to take another path. Bereft and out of options\, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year\, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond\, one built on empathy\, spiritual reckoning\, and hea rtbreak\, with the power to alter Hai&rsquo\;s relationship to himself\, h is family\, and a community at the brink.
\nFollowing the c ycles of history\, memory\, and time\, \;The Emperor of Gladness \ ;shows the profound ways in which love\, labor\, and loneliness form the b edrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haun t our collective soul. Hallmarks of Vuong&rsquo\;s writing &ndash\; formal innovation\, syntactic dexterity\, and the ability to twin grit with grac e through tenderness &ndash\; are on full display in this story of loss\, hope\, and how far we would go to possess one of life&rsquo\;s most fleeti ng mercies: a second chance.
\n-------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------
\nPLEASE NOTE: In the month of November 2026 only\, this event will be held on Thursday November 12.
\n------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------
\nQuestions about this program?& nbsp\;Contact the White Oak branch Tel: 240-773-9555. branch phone number< /p>\n
Don't have a card right now? \; No worries! \; Find out ho w to \;Get a Library Card.
\nLibrary Program Atte ndance (both virtual and in the branch) is limited to participants within the suggested age range of the program. Children attending an MCPL program under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Adults attending a pr ogram intended for children must have an accompanying child.
\nIf yo u plan to attend with a group of ten or more\, please contact the branch a t least one week before the program to discuss how your group might be acc ommodated.
\nTo request an accommodation\, contact the library branch where you want the accommodation. If they are unable to help\, or if you need an accommodation for an onlin e resource or event\, complete our Accommodation Request Form online or call Library Adm inistration at 240-777-0002.
\nhttps://m cpl.libnet.info/event/16078653 URL;VALUE=URI:https://mcpl.libnet.info/event/16078653 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/mcpl/0lectures-and-discuss ions.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR