An Uprooted Daughter's Reflections on Belonging
Published by Astra House (2022-10-11)
“A hopeful, complicated, political, and, at times, devastating book. Vanessa resurrects stories from the deep crevices of her memory with ease, honesty, and a boundless capacity for empathy. Her preternatural talent for storytelling and her astute analysis have produced a book that manages to exceed the constraints of the memoir genre. I raced through the story, blown away by the depths of Vanessa's experience and her adeptness in recounting it. You have never read anything quite like Home Bound -- a remarkable, captivating story that I've already begun recommending to everyone.”
—Josie Duffy Rice, journalist, writer, and co-host of "What A Day"
“A remarkable portrayal of daughterhood, Home Bound will reshape and expand your definition of belonging. In exquisite, captivating prose, Vanessa A. Bee charts her journey within a sprawling yet tight-knit family across three continents. She is a deeply empathetic writer who weaves intimate details alongside profound insights, and often moved me to tears. Moments after turning the last page, I started reading all over again—a rare impulse reserved only for my favorite books.”
—Sanaë Lemoine, author of The Margot Affair
"Home Bound is a mesmerizing, globe-spanning story of forgiveness, resilience, and love. Vanessa A. Bee writes with vulnerability, honesty, and fierce intelligence about the intricacies of home, identity, and belonging. A wise and gripping debut."
—Rachel Khong, author of Goodbye, Vitamin
"By turns deft, sensitive, witty, defiant, and always intellectually rigorous. Bee’s incisive explorations and bold declarations of who she is (and who she thinks she is), invites us to embrace and wrestle with the multitudes that we all contain."
—Phuc Tran, author of Sigh, Gone