Dragonfish: A Novel Summary
Vu Tran

Dragonfish: A Novel Overview

Dragonfish, by Vu Tran, is a nonlinear thriller novel narrated from the first-person perspectives of two different narrators. Robert Ruen is an Oakland police officer who was married to Hong Thi Pham, a Vietnamese immigrant who is also known as Suzy. After Robert and Suzy divorce, Suzy moves to Las Vegas and enters a relationship with Sonny Van Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant who is also a Las Vegas crime boss. After Suzy disappears, Sonny and his son Jonathan force Robert into tracking her down. Robert's investigation reveals many hidden secrets of Suzy's life. The narrative is interspersed with flashbacks and letters written by Suzy to her daughter Mai. These letters detail the events of Suzy's past and her rationalization of the decisions that she has made over the years. Themes explored in Dragonfish include immigration, morality, family, and loss.