▁firm ▁to ▁write ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁her ▁first ▁novel , ▁The ▁Book ▁of ▁Salt . ▁ ▁Tru ong ▁had ▁the ▁insp iration ▁for ▁this ▁novel ▁in ▁college ; ▁she ▁bought ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁The ▁Alice ▁B . ▁Tok las ▁Cook book ▁( 1 9 5 4 ) ▁because ▁she ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁Tok las ' ▁famous ▁hash ish ▁brow nie ▁reci pe . ▁Tru ong ▁was ▁intr igu ed ▁to ▁discover ▁that ▁Tok las ▁and ▁Stein ▁had ▁had ▁two ▁" Ind o - Ch inese " ▁men ▁who ▁cook ed ▁for ▁them ▁at ▁two ▁of ▁their ▁French ▁resid ences . ▁ ▁Pub lished ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁The ▁Book ▁of ▁Salt ▁won ▁numerous ▁literary ▁awards , ▁including ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Public ▁Library ▁Young ▁L ions ▁Award ▁and ▁the ▁B ard ▁F iction ▁Prize . ▁It ▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁post - World ▁War ▁I ▁Paris , ▁and ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁Bin h , ▁a ▁Vietnam ese ▁cook , ▁who , ▁after ▁sp ending ▁years ▁working ▁for ▁Ger tr ude ▁Stein ▁and ▁Alice ▁B . ▁Tok las , ▁must ▁decide ▁whether ▁to ▁travel ▁with ▁his ▁employ ers ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁return ▁to ▁Vietnam , ▁or ▁remain ▁in ▁France . ▁The ▁novel ▁expl ores ▁them es ▁of ▁sexual ity , ▁di as por a , ▁race , ▁and ▁national ▁identity . ▁ ▁Tru ong ▁currently ▁serves ▁as ▁vice ▁president ▁of ▁The ▁Auth ors ▁Gu ild . ▁ ▁Books ▁Wat erm ark : ▁Vietnam ese ▁American ▁Po etry ▁& ▁Pro se