CapRadio Reads: Author Interview with Lan Cao On Her Memoir, Family In Six Tones

Join CapRadio Reads host Donna Apidone and Vietnamese-American novelist Lan Cao to discuss her new, dual first-person memoir — Family In Six Tones. Following the author interview, there will be live Q/A to pose your questions to Donna Apidone and author.

Family In Six Tones speaks both to refugees’ unique struggles and the universal tug-of-war between mothers and daughters. Lan wrestles with her identity in her adoptive country, her ambitions for herself and her daughter and raising a child that is both secure and happy. Harlan reflects and refracts her mother’s narrative as she makes her own path through her childhood and adolescence, still feeling the after-effects of a family tragedy.

About the Author:
Lan Cao was born in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1961. The years that followed her birth were marred by a bloody struggle that pitted religious sects against each other in a fight for a consolidated central government and devastated all Vietnamese. As she grew, Lan turned to reading and writing to find solace in the turbulence. In 1975 she left her home country and started as a freshman at an American high school, and although there was no war, she faced loneliness, hostility from others and a loss of country. As Cao reached college, she felt inspired to write through a professor’s encouragement, and she hasn’t stopped since.

About CapRadio:
CapRadio Reads has gone virtual. In these times, we hope to connect with you no matter from where you tune in. Our virtual author interviews are free and open to the public (though registration is required).
Hosted by CapRadio host Donna Apidone, these author interviews are a fun and unique experience for book lovers. Interviews are recorded and shared with our radio audience on-air and online at capradio.org/reads, and you can search your favorite podcast provider for “CapRadio Reads.”