Împăratul bucuriei

Hai has left college and sees no way forward. At nineteen, he stands on a bridge, ready to jump. A call from across the river interrupts him. It comes from Grazina, an older widow who has dementia. In East Gladness, Connecticut, the two form a close bond over the next year. Hai takes a restaurant job to support them both. His fellow workers begin to fill the role of family.

Ocean Vuong's novel explores care, mental distress, and life outside society's mainstream. It blends grief with humor through the lives of people struggling to get by. This Romanian paperback edition appeared in 2025. Its original title is The Emperor of Gladness.