Build Your House Around My Body

A Novel

By: Violet Kupersmith

Narrated by: Quyen Ngo

Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

Part puzzle, part revenge tale, part ghost story, this ingenious novel spins half a century of Vietnamese history and folklore into “a thrilling read, acrobatic and filled with verve” (The New York Times Editors’ Choice).

FINALIST FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION’S FIRST NOVEL PRIZE • LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, Good Housekeeping, Kirkus Reviews

“Fiction as daring and accomplished as Violet Kupersmith’s first novel reignites my love of the form and its kaleidoscopic possibilities.”—David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas

Two young women go missing decades apart. Both are fearless, both are lost. And both will have their revenge. 

1986: The teenage daughter of a wealthy Vietnamese family loses her way in an abandoned rubber plantation while fleeing her angry father and is forever changed. 

2011: A young, unhappy Vietnamese American woman disappears from her new home in Saigon without a trace. 

The fates of these two women are inescapably linked, bound together by past generations, by ghosts and ancestors, by the history of possessed bodies and possessed lands. Alongside them, we meet a young boy who is sent to a boarding school for the métis children of French expatriates, just before Vietnam declares its independence from colonial rule; two Frenchmen who are trying to start a business with the Vietnam War on the horizon; and the employees of the Saigon Spirit Eradication Co., who find themselves investigating strange occurrences in a farmhouse on the edge of a forest. Each new character and timeline brings us one step closer to understanding what binds them all. 

Build Your House Around My Body takes us from colonial mansions to ramshackle zoos, from sweaty nightclubs to the jostling seats of motorbikes, from ex-pat flats to sizzling back-alley street carts. Spanning more than fifty years of Vietnamese history and barreling toward an unforgettable conclusion, this is a time-traveling, heart-pounding, border-crossing fever dream of a novel that will haunt you long after the last minute.

©2021 Violet Kupersmith (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"I loved this epic book - beautiful, brilliant, powerful, and shivery-back-of-the-neck terrifying." (Madeline Miller, author of Circe)

“Violet Kupersmith’s eerie and electric debut novel...followed me into my days, refusing to release me.... This is a big, packed novel. Reading it provides a sensation not unlike riding on a motorbike overloaded with passengers and wares: It careens, it tilts and at times I wondered if it would reach its destination without a crash. But Kupersmith proves herself a fearless driver who revels in the daunting challenge she has set for herself. There are so many ways this novel could have lost its balance; instead, its too-much-ness makes for a thrilling read, acrobatic and filled with verve.” (New York Times) 

“Haunting and unforgettable.” (Bust)  

Epic, Horrifying & Mystical

As a writer, when I read something this clever, I know I must step up my game or retire my pen.

Creative and refreshing

This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read. Between the Vietnamese cultural environment and the fascinating ghost stories, I found myself embroiled in a epic story that seamlessly wove the mystical and real worlds together into a shimmering fabric.

Perfection in storytelling!

I listened every free moment, all week-long. Now looking for other works by this author.

Unceasingly Strange

The writer is so talented! Full stop. However, this book starts strange and never takes its foot off the gas. The characters are so well developed it’s difficult not to like them but, there are soooo many that it’s crazy hard to keep track of them. I definitely wouldn’t call this book scary but, I did finish all 15+ hours so that says something. Narration is excellent!

Extraordinary ghost story

This book is so well-crafted. It’s beautifully written, well-paced, and it’s genuinely scary. It’s the right balance of horror, mystery, drama, and folklore, with moments of real humor and levity. The characters and plot are compelling, and the setting is so strong that it feels like Vietnam is it’s own character. I can’t praise it enough. It’s basically perfect. I’d be so proud of myself if I were the author.

Very dark story

I have no idea why I ordered this book. Maybe it was an accident. It is a dark and evil story. The demonic power of this story was absolutely creepy. I felt so oppressed as I listened. I kept hoping it would get better. After more than half of the book, I just stopped.

Takes a lot of work

This supernatural story bounces back and forth haphazardly between historical points so it is somewhat difficult. Look for the lightbulb moments to help navigate.

Good reader

Excellent reading by Quyen Ngo. It was expressive without being forced, dramatic without being overdramatized.

I have no words

What on earth was this book ??!didn’t care for it didn’t enjoy listening to it. I ended up skipping through it. It was just that unlistenable. Waste of my time

Haunting, awesome novel!

I loved this novel more than I should have!!! Such lush, vivid imagery!! Quyen Ngo’s narration was excellent!! I felt like it was an allegory comparing the females’ bodies to Vietnam all the way around! I absolutely loved every second of this book!!! The smells, the sights, the sensations were exquisite!!! I need to listen to it again! And again!!!