Kien Nguyen Quotes

“Lying half-asleep in his embrace, I looked up and saw on his face the same expression I saw on countless lonely faces every day. It was the homesick look of the children who were lost in the chaos of warfare, witnessing death and disaster, longing for a meaningful touch.”
― Kien Nguyen, The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood

“Never had I beheld such despair.”
― Kien Nguyen, The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood

“No longer did she look like a shy little maid who was trained to censor her thought before it reached her mouth. These past few days had turned her into a reserved yet intelligent young woman.”
― Kien Nguyen, The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood

“Instead of relishing life, people merely existed. Such was the case with my family.”
― Kien Nguyen, The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood

“I don't have anything to give you, except to show you a way to better yourself.”
― Kien Nguyen, The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood

“Come up here. Tell us your story.”
― Kien Nguyen, The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood

“Take a close look at your life if you dare. Do you understand why you allow your children to harass mine? Jealousy, that's why. You are jealous of the fact that all of your fourteen children could never measure up in Daddy's eyes as much as one half-breed of mine. It hurts, doesn't it? Knowing that your children can never be good enough. But how could they? Just look at them, and the parents that gave life to them. I sincerely hope that I never have to see your face again.”
― Kien Nguyen, The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood

“In the sallow afternoon, I watched her get dressed.”
― Kien Nguyen, The Unwanted: A Memoir of Childhood