Cover artwork by Manshen Lo
SUMMER ROLLS, the debut novel by Tuyền Đỗ, has been pre-empted by Trapeze Books and will be published on 24 April 2025. The novel, adapted from Tuyền’s play which premiered at London’s Park Theatre in 2019, is a multigenerational story set between the UK and Vietnam, exploring family, identity, love and memory through the lives and relationship of Vietnamese immigrant Trinh and her British-raised daughter Mai. World rights in all languages (excluding US) were acquired by former editor Zoe Yang from Juliet Pickering, with Editorial Director Sareeta Domingo publishing SUMMER ROLLS latterly.
Inspired by Tuyền’s own family history, SUMMER ROLLS tells the parallel stories of both teenage Mai, growing up in 1990s London, and her mother Trinh as she comes of age in 1950 and 60s Vietnam, and explores how the traumas of one generation are mapped onto the lives of the next, and the enduring effects of conflict both domestic and global, personal and public. You can read more about Tuyền’s experience telling this story in this BBC feature interview from the play’s production in June 2019.
‘I am very excited to bring the story of SUMMER ROLLS to a wider audience, together with Trapeze, this conversation-starting publisher,’ said Tuyền. ‘I hope this book will do just that – opening channels of communication between the generations who read it. My aspirations for this still-hidden female story is that it will be illuminating, healing, and a celebration of that very special bond between a daughter and her mother.’
Sareeta Domingo added: ‘Tuyền has crafted an exceptional debut novel, telling a vital story about the complexities of being a second-generation immigrant in Britain today, as well as the impact that crossing an ocean to escape conflict can have on a family. It’s about the challenges of assimilation, culture and personal evolution—but most of all, Tuyền has beautifully captured the utterly relatable nuances of a mother-daughter relationship. I’m excited to be able to publish her work.’
‘Tuyền’s voice – both in her playwriting and her novel – is so striking, resonant and empathic; I loved Summer Rolls from the first page,’ Juliet Pickering said. ‘This is a timely, relatable and deeply moving book from a brilliantly talented debut author, and no one who reads Mai and Trinh’s story will forget it.’
Mai is navigating life in 90s London as a first-generation British Vietnamese teenager, caught between two cultures. Her mother, Trinh, is constantly reminding her to work hard and be grateful.
But Trinh was young once too, living a vibrant and complicated life in Vietnam until forced to flee her war-torn home. Now her focus is the son she thought she'd lost, and the daughter she desperately wants to protect. She tries to forget the memories buried in the rubble of the life she left behind. Moving into young adulthood, Mai begins to follow her calling as a photographer, and falls in knotty but passionate love despite her mother's warnings about boys. When secrets from the past finally resurface, the family's bonds are truly shaken. But if Trinh and Mai can overcome their differences and stand together, then maybe there could be hope for a better, brighter future...
An epic, heartwarming novel that explores love, the meaning of freedom and the importance of family, for fans of PACHINKO and ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS.
Photo: Gavin Li
About Tuyền Đỗ
Tuyền Đỗ is a British Vietnamese writer and actor. She has been part of the Royal Court’s studio writing group, Tamasha Playwrights, and Bristol Old Vic’s open session writers’ programme. Much of her creative work stems from her East Asian heritage.
Praise for the novel SUMMER ROLLS
‘SUMMER ROLLS is a poignant exploration of intergenerational trauma and its impact on familial bonds, thoughtfully illuminating the Vietnamese refugee crisis of the 70s and 80s. With nuance and compassion, it examines the delicate balance between independence and empathy, leaving a lasting impression of the quiet resilience often embodied by mothers.’ – Warona Jay, author of THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS
Praise for the play SUMMER ROLLS
‘An intimate domestic drama, sketched with compassion and steely honesty.’ – The Guardian
‘Glows with the colour and depth of its characters. Đỗ reveals herself as a sophisticated and empathetic chronicler of people, personality and pain... her scenes are rich, well-rounded and believable... a beautiful, honest, heartfelt portrayal of the British Vietnamese diaspora.’ – The Stage
‘Like a collection of individually captured moments in one huge family album... there are also real moments of tenderness... a realistic and accurate reflection of how memory often works in fragments and flashbacks.’ – Time Out London