The Emperor of Gladness

Brought to you by Penguin. THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER College dropout Hai doesn’t know how to face the future until a chance meeting with elderly widow Grazina changes his life. One late summer evening in the town of East Gladness, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow. From this moment, his second chance begins. Over the course of the year, Hai’s story takes new and unexpected turns, as his life-altering bond with Grazina transforms his relationship to the community, his family and, most powerfully of all, to himself. ‘Heartbreaking’ Guardian ‘Dramatic and vivid’ Colm Tóibín ‘Beautiful’ Oprah Winfrey ‘His most vivid, ambitious work yet’ Dazed (C) Ocean Vuong 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025