Sub-Genres
- Asian American novel (lê accepts that designation)
- Autobiographical fiction (lê denies it)
Thúy said in an interview, “It mirrors places I've [been], both geographical and emotional, but I didn't enter into it as a recollection of my own experiences and memories. I entered into it with these characters and followed them. I'm much more excited about the things that happen that I never anticipate.”
- Fictionalized refugee narrative (escape and resettlement narrative)
Fictionalized Immigrant Narrative
- Coming-of-age novel or bildungsroman