55 pages • 1 hour read
Bitter in the Mouth
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
320
Novel • Fiction
Boiling Springs, North Carolina • 1970s
2010
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong follows Linda Hammerick, a Vietnamese American girl with synesthesia adopted by a white family in 1970s North Carolina, as she recounts her complex childhood and her adult life, revealing themes of race, identity, and family secrets through a stream-of-consciousness narrative. The book includes depictions of sexual assault.
Contemplative
Mysterious
Melancholic
Emotional
Bittersweet
Reviews & Readership
2,645 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong receives high praise for its lyrical prose and unique narrative voice, capturing the complexities of identity and family. Readers appreciate the rich sensory details and the profound exploration of personal history. However, some critique the novel's pacing as slow. Overall, it's regarded as a thought-provoking and beautifully written work.
Who Should Read Bitter in the Mouth?
Readers who enjoy Bitter in the Mouth by Monique Truong are likely to be captivated by nuanced family dynamics and themes of cultural identity. Fans of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake and Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club will appreciate the deep, introspective storytelling and complex character development.
2,645 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
320
Novel • Fiction
Boiling Springs, North Carolina • 1970s
2010
Adult
18+ years
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.