Friday, November 14, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Book Soup, West Hollywood
An unconventional memoir of conjuring the uncertain past and a long-lost homeland, and a vital document of one family's journey through world history With the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, the U.S. war in Vietnam ended, but the refugee crisis was only beginning. Among the millions of people who fled Vietnam by boat were Vinh Nguyen, along with his mother and siblings, and his father, who left separately and then mysteriously vanished. Decades later, Nguyen goes looking for the story of his father. What he discovers is a sea of questions drifting above sunken truths. To come to terms with the past, Nguyen must piece together the debris of history with family stories that have been scattered across generations and continents, kept for decades in broken hearts and guarded silences. The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse takes readers on a poignant tour of disappeared refugee camps, abandoned family homes, and the lives that could have been. As the fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War approaches, this powerful memoir is timelier and more important than ever, illuminating the stories, real and imagined, that become buried in the rubble of war. **Kenneth Nguyen is the host and creator of _The Vietnamese_ podcast,** a platform celebrating Vietnamese excellence across the globe**.** Since launching in 2020, Kenneth has produced over 400 episodes, engaging in insightful, in-depth conversations with voices from all corners of the global Vietnamese community. Driven by a deep passion for storytelling and cultural connection, he explores themes of identity, diaspora, entrepreneurship, and the work of the creative comunity—amplifying narratives that capture the depth and diversity of the Vietnamese experience. The podcast has featured an impressive roster of guests, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen, acclaimed writer Ocean Vuong, legendary actress Kieu Chinh, actor Dustin Nguyen, and comedian Stevie Ho, among many others. Kenneth’s work has been widely recognized for preserving and elevating the stories of the Vietnamese diaspora, offering listeners a richer, more nuanced understanding of identity, heritage, and belonging across generations and borders. 