Thanksgiving always makes me pause — not just to count blessings, but to acknowledge the quiet, complicated paths that led me to them. This year feels different. Bigger. Deeper. Almost unreal.

Because this is the first Thanksgiving where I get to say:

I published my debut novel.

I put a piece of my heart into the world… and the world held it.

And that still amazes me.

The Journey Behind the Gratitude

When I think back on the road that led to The Ticket to Freedom, what I feel isn’t pride first — it’s tenderness.

I remember the nights I rewrote the same paragraph until my eyes blurred.

I remember sitting in silence, wondering if anyone would understand a story shaped by identity, culture, silence, and the quiet ache of belonging.

I remember hovering over “Publish” with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking.

There were moments I almost talked myself out of writing this story — moments I feared my voice wouldn’t fit anywhere.

But it did.

And seeing readers not only embrace my book but feel seen by it has been one of the most healing experiences of my life.

Sometimes gratitude isn’t loud.

Sometimes it’s a deep breath you didn’t know you were holding — finally released.

The Gift of Identity and Belonging

As an immigrant, as a queer storyteller, and as someone who spent years standing between two worlds, writing this book was more than a creative project. It was a personal exhale.

I didn’t grow up seeing stories like mine on bookshelves.

I didn’t grow up confident that a voice like mine had a place.

So crafting a narrative where a character like David — someone navigating silence, culture, truth, and hope — takes up space on a page felt like reclaiming something I once thought wasn’t for me.

This year, I’m grateful for every person who sees themselves in my characters.

For every reader who says, “This felt like my story too.”

And for every quiet moment where someone realizes they’re not alone.

Belonging is a journey.

Stories help us walk it.

The Power of Story

I’ve always believed that stories aren’t just entertainment — they’re bridges.

They reach into places we don’t talk about openly.

They hold emotions we haven’t named yet.

They whisper truths we’ve been afraid to claim.

If you’ve ever read a line in a book and felt your chest tighten because it finally put words to your experience — then you know the power of story.

The Ticket to Freedom taught me that stories don’t just reflect who we are.

They reflect who we’re becoming.

And for that, I’m endlessly grateful.

Growing Into What Comes Next

As I work on the sequel, I’m filled with the same familiar mix — excitement, nerves, hope, and the weight of wanting to do justice to these characters’ journeys.

But now there’s something new too:

Confidence.

Not loud confidence — not the kind that shouts.

But the kind that settles in quietly, like morning light.

Knowing that my story mattered to even one person is enough to keep me writing.

Knowing it mattered to many of you keeps me grounded.

Thank You

Thank you to every reader who downloaded the book.

Thank you to everyone who shared a line, a review, or a moment from the story that touched them.

Thank you for making space for my voice — for our voices.

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for the courage it took to write, the community that formed around the story, and the journey still unfolding.

Most of all, I’m grateful for you.

Here’s to growth.

To belonging.

To storytelling.

And to every quiet victory we don’t celebrate enough.

Happy Thanksgiving.

— Luu, The Author