The Book of Salt

In "The Book of Salt," set in Paris during 1934, Bính reflects on his complex journey as he prepares for an uncertain future while serving as the cook for the renowned literary couple Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. Fleeing from his troubled past in Vietnam, where he endured the tyrannies of his father and the devotion of his mother, Bính's narrative unfolds through rich memories of his youth, his time spent at sea, and his culinary experiences that delighted the avant-garde figures of the Lost Generation. As he stands at a crossroads, his story weaves together themes of identity, belonging, and the art of cooking.