Tanya Mosley

Let's get into your origin story, which started in Vietnam. But you arrived here at two years old, lived in Connecticut, a small town called Glastonbury. And the book is set in a fictional town, East Gladness, which I suspect is very similar to Glastonbury. Can I have you read an excerpt from the book that really describes this setting?

That town. This town sounds like so many towns in the United States. In fact, you go on to also write about kind of the center of the town where there are lots of fast food restaurants and the main character actually works at a fast food restaurant. What strikes me is that so much of what is written about America and presented about America is are the big cities and the big towns.

That town. This town sounds like so many towns in the United States. In fact, you go on to also write about kind of the center of the town where there are lots of fast food restaurants and the main character actually works at a fast food restaurant. What strikes me is that so much of what is written about America and presented about America is are the big cities and the big towns.

That town. This town sounds like so many towns in the United States. In fact, you go on to also write about kind of the center of the town where there are lots of fast food restaurants and the main character actually works at a fast food restaurant. What strikes me is that so much of what is written about America and presented about America is are the big cities and the big towns.

But this reality is much more real and much more common.

But this reality is much more real and much more common.

But this reality is much more real and much more common.

Well, one of the things that you do in this book through the story to the main character, hi, he works at a fast food restaurant. And so I'm thinking about your stepdad working in a factory. He had a family of circumstance as well at work in that same way. And those relationships, they're so fleeting, but they can be so deep as well. Yeah.

Well, one of the things that you do in this book through the story to the main character, hi, he works at a fast food restaurant. And so I'm thinking about your stepdad working in a factory. He had a family of circumstance as well at work in that same way. And those relationships, they're so fleeting, but they can be so deep as well. Yeah.

Well, one of the things that you do in this book through the story to the main character, hi, he works at a fast food restaurant. And so I'm thinking about your stepdad working in a factory. He had a family of circumstance as well at work in that same way. And those relationships, they're so fleeting, but they can be so deep as well. Yeah.

Because that's where you worked for how long? Three years. Three years, yeah. You also worked at other fast food restaurants. Panera Bread as well. Yeah, yeah.

Because that's where you worked for how long? Three years. Three years, yeah. You also worked at other fast food restaurants. Panera Bread as well. Yeah, yeah.

Because that's where you worked for how long? Three years. Three years, yeah. You also worked at other fast food restaurants. Panera Bread as well. Yeah, yeah.

The fast food restaurant was a trap. Meaning there was no place of mobility to move up.

The fast food restaurant was a trap. Meaning there was no place of mobility to move up.

The fast food restaurant was a trap. Meaning there was no place of mobility to move up.

Hai, as I mentioned, the protagonist, he... has decided that maybe he wants to die. And he's intercepted by this relationship with this 82-year-old woman who's suffering from dementia. He ends up being her caregiver. And every moment in the book, as I'm turning the page, after I realize that, I'm thinking, he wanted to die, but he's living another day. Yeah.

Hai, as I mentioned, the protagonist, he... has decided that maybe he wants to die. And he's intercepted by this relationship with this 82-year-old woman who's suffering from dementia. He ends up being her caregiver. And every moment in the book, as I'm turning the page, after I realize that, I'm thinking, he wanted to die, but he's living another day. Yeah.

Hai, as I mentioned, the protagonist, he... has decided that maybe he wants to die. And he's intercepted by this relationship with this 82-year-old woman who's suffering from dementia. He ends up being her caregiver. And every moment in the book, as I'm turning the page, after I realize that, I'm thinking, he wanted to die, but he's living another day. Yeah.

And in that living another day, it's very much like that classic movie, It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart, you know, where he says, I want to live. But there's something in it where these mundane everyday things now seem kind of beautiful. These interactions he's having with his colleagues in this fast food restaurant that are so deeply human.