NOW AN ORIGINAL SERIES ON ABC • “Just may be the best new comedy of [the year] . . . based on restaurateur Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name . . . [a] classic fresh-out-of-water comedy.”—People “Bawdy and frequently hilarious . . . a surprisingly sophisticated memoir about race and assimilation in America . . . as much James Baldwin and Jay-Z as Amy Tan . . . rowdy [and] vital . . . It’s a book about fitting in by not fitting in at all.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY KIRKUS REVIEWS Assimilating ain’t easy. Eddie Huang was raised by a wild family of FOB (“fresh off the boat”) immigrants—his father a cocksure restaurateur with a dark past back in Taiwan, his mother a fierce protector and constant threat. Young Eddie tried his hand at everything mainstream America threw his way, from white Jesus to macaroni and cheese, but finally found his home as leader of a rainbow coalition of lost boys up to no good: skate punks, dealers, hip-hop junkies, and sneaker freaks. This is the story of a Chinese-American kid in a could-be-anywhere cul-de-sac blazing his way through America’s deviant subcultures, trying to find himself, ten thousand miles from his legacy and anchored only by his conflicted love for his family and his passion for food. Funny, moving, and stylistically inventive, Fresh Off the Boat is more than a radical reimagining of the immigrant memoir—it’s the exhilarating story of every American outsider who finds his destiny in the margins. Praise for Fresh Off the Boat “Brash and funny . . . outrageous, courageous, moving, ironic and true.”—New York Times Book Review “Mercilessly funny and provocative, Fresh Off the Boat is also a serious piece of work. Eddie Huang is hunting nothing less than Big Game here. He does everything with style.”—Anthony Bourdain “Uproariously funny . . . emotionally honest.”—Chicago Tribune “Huang is a fearless raconteur. [His] writing is at once hilarious and provocative; his incisive wit pulls through like a perfect plate of dan dan noodles.”—Interview “Although writing a memoir is an audacious act for a thirty-year-old, it is not nearly as audacious as some of the things Huang did and survived even earlier. . . . Whatever he ends up doing, you can be sure it won’t look or sound like anything that’s come before. A single, kinetic passage from Fresh Off the Boat . . . is all you need to get that straight.”—Bookforum
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"This book is great! Hip hop, being ostracized, white people starting problems for no reason, I deal with this every day almost! I love it because he talks about getting tired of fighting just for some simple respect, that's how I feel too. I could relate to this book so well cuz frankly I'm still going through it now lol! It's inspiring me to write my own story. I've fought with my fist all my life, maybe it's time to fight with a book now. Thanks Eddie for repping the non whites/blacks/ Latinos. We're the others, those no one gives a fuck about. But now we shining son!"
— Hai (5 out of 5 stars)
" I often struggle with how I should judge memoirs or autobiographies - do I base my review on the content or the writing? Or both? Objectively speaking the writing is pretty good despite my personal disdain for his overuse of profanity. the content was quite something else. It fuses the discovery of his talent in a pretty drawn out story of his childhood which focuses on his growing up Asian on America. I as an Asian person who grew up on Asia admit I do not understand the Asian American experience. But if I ever said it is annoying to hear Asian Americans talk about racism and then resolve that by hanging out with only Asian Americans the more annoying thing is an Asian American going on about racism while trying SO hard to prove he is not the Asian American stereotype by proving he has rough friends and using urban vocabulary. Clearly based on this I am basing this review on the content but I did admit his writing is pretty good. "
— Bora, 1/28/2014" On audio, which he does a fantastic job reading himself. I have nothing but hearts and flowers for the beginning, but eventually the thing was two days overdue and I was still listening to stories about fights he had in high school, friends he made at camp, and how he felt about his assigned reading. It was like one of those endless freshman dorm conversations. I think he has an important voice, but should have waited a little longer to do this memoir. The flavors need more time to blend and deepen, or whatever it is he said about his beef noodle soup. "
— Kate, 1/20/2014" Interesting real life coming of age story with allot of hip elements "
— Natasha, 1/8/2014" Subversive and funny Orlando expat Eddie Huang riffs on identity, family, and food. "
— Shasta, 1/5/2014" As a memoir, I thought it was fine. I don't like to judge people. You are who you are. But it seems to me like he is an A**hole. "
— Lucia, 12/12/2013" Very entertaining read. I really want to go to Baohaus and check it out. "
— Katie, 12/2/2013" Awesome and inspiring! Being white boy in NYC, from bama, it "
— Jeff, 11/13/2013" A look into Hip Hop kids, Chinese kids, growing up in the 90's and fancy basketball shoes. Oh, and opening a successful restaurabt on the lower east side. I almost quit reading about ten times but did end up finishing it. "
— Nancy, 10/13/2013" Don't ask me why I hung in there & read this book. It's a mystery. "
— Rose, 10/10/2013" I was close to finishing this memoir, but I had to return it to the library. I love memoirs and I could totally identify with Huang's immigrant experience. "
— Monica, 9/4/2013" after reading this i have been converted. eddie huang is a very entertaining man and i like him a lot. "
— Julie, 8/22/2013" love the references to the "beef and brocs" "
— Jeremy, 8/16/2013" I normally like memoirs, and this was no exception, but I honestly could have used a glossary. The cultural background was fascinating, but the emphasis on hip hop and clothing was just not up my alley. "
— Deborah, 5/27/2013" It's not perfect--it's rambly and feels unedited--but it's funny, original, and full of heart. 90s-era hip-hop heads (like me!) will especially love it. "
— eb, 4/27/2013" Eddie Huang writes about his youth growing up Asian-American and finding his voice through food. The hip-hop hyperbole becomes tiring after a while, but when he's writing about food, he's got "mad skills, yo." "
— John, 2/16/2013Eddie Huang is the proprietor of Baohaus. He hosts Munchies for VICE TV, hosted Cheap Bites for the Cooking Channel, and co-hosted episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover. He’s written for Eater.com, The New York Observer, Grantland, and his own popular blog, Fresh Off the Boat. He lives in New York City.