Book Log 2021 #43: The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen

This sequel to The Sympathizer sees that book's main character set up in Paris, where they've landed after a bout of reeducation in Vietnam. He falls in with a left wing crowd while he and his friend establish themselves in the drug trade. The narrator continues to struggle with identity, both ethnic (being both Vietnamese and French) and ideological (no longer being communist but still interested in leftist politics). He also has to figure out how to reconcile his best friend with a common friend who, in large part, is responsible for their current situation.

It went back and read some reviews, and it was interesting to see how they differed on whether or not you needed to read The Sympathizer before reading this book. Suffice it to say there was no consensus; it went from one review saying you didn't have to to another saying you'd be lost without doing so.  My vote would be to read The Sympathizer first, as it will help you sort out relationships and plot points a bit. I'd also say it might be worth reading them back to back (as if they're two volumes of a single work), but even if you can't do that you should read both of them at whatever pace you're good with.