The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen is a gripping, intense, and surprisingly nuanced novel that follows a Vietnamese refugee, Bon, and his family as they try to adapt to life in Paris in the wake of the Vietnam War. Bon is an exile who, despite his suffering, is determined to find a sense of belonging, as well as a sense of purpose in his new home. The story of Bon and his family is an exploration of identity, family, and the immigrant experience.
The novel begins with Bon, who was born in Vietnam, living in Paris with his wife, Bao, and their two daughters. Bon and his family are still struggling to adjust to life in their new country and Bon desperately struggles to find purpose in his newfound home. Bon, who was formerly a successful economist in Vietnam, settles for working in a low-paying French warehouse. He finds solace in his job, and the long hours he spends in the company of the other migrant workers offer him a sense of acceptance and identity.
This changed when Bon decides to join an organized crime family, who initially seem to offer him the social connections and success he so desperately craves. As Bon quickly discovers, the criminal underworld of Paris has transformed his sense of identity and marks him as an agent of change, but also as a criminal who must answer to the harsh consequences of a life of crime.
Bon's involvement with the criminal underworld leads him to a moral crisis as he is faced with the consequences of the choices he has made. Nguyen uses this moral struggle to explore the complicated relationship between loyalty, truth and morality, and how our decisions often trade in the way we view ourselves. As Bon struggles to find a place in his new home, his relationship with a young French woman, Chantal, and her family provide an opportunity for him to reconcile the various pieces and identities of his life.
The Committed also shines a light on the issues faced by immigrants and refugees who struggle to find meaning in their new home. Nguyen's exploration of identity and belonging is deeply affecting, as he examines how we find our place in the world when our home is no longer ours. He captures the agony of assimilation, the struggle for acceptance and the bittersweet longing for home.
The novel is a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of identity, morality, family and the experience of migration, and Nguyen uses metaphors and cleverly crafted language to tell an emotionally charged story. His writing is vivid, and his characters are fully realized, making this an engaging and emotionally charged drama that will stay with readers long after they've finished the book. The Committed is an unforgettable story of a refugee's journey of discovery and self-empowerment, and a powerful meditation on identity and belonging.
