The Emperor of Gladness follows 19-year-old Hai in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, as he is interrupted from attempting suicide on a bridge by Grazina, an elderly, dementia-ridden widow. Their unlikely connection leads Hai to become her caretaker and take a job at a local restaurant, HomeMarket, where he and his fellow marginalized workers form a chosen family. The novel explores themes of grief, memory, labor, and the profound, sometimes brutal, ways people find connection and survival on the fringes of society.
