Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead

Mai Nguyen's novel follows Cleo Dang, a woman devastated by the loss of her newborn who drifts into bed‑rotting grief and later takes a job at a funeral home to escape isolation.

The book balances raw depiction of acute bereavement with black humor and a compassionate look at community, envy in grief, and the taboo surrounding infant loss.

Through the funeral‑home workplace and a cast of quirky mourners and attendants, Cleo slowly reconnects to life while confronting complicated relationships, especially with a best friend who kept her baby.

The narrative is written in first person and foregrounds sensory, often uncomfortable moments, ultimately guiding the protagonist toward a difficult, cathartic reckoning.