About Me

I’m a historian and author drawn to enduring questions: What is a life well-lived? How do we create meaning amidst upheaval and build a more compassionate world? My work explores these questions through the lens of history and engaged Buddhism. I’m interested in how ancient wisdom speaks to contemporary challenges, and how radical transformation can come from simple and intentional daily life.

I hold a PhD from Columbia University and BA from Yale, and have published in scholarly texts like the Cambridge History of the Vietnam War and the Journal of Vietnamese Studies as well as media platforms like Tricycle and On Being. My subject specialities are US empire, modern Vietnam, decolonization, and global migration in the 20th century.

My Work

I’m a lifelong Buddhist and daughter of refugees from Vietnam. My work is driven by a desire to heal and transform the way we see ourselves in relation to the wider world. I’m ordained in the Order of Interbeing, in the Plum Village tradition of Engaged Buddhism, and served as a Board Member and Co-chair of the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation for 9 years. I remain committed to cultivating mindfulness and compassion to help people live happier and suffer less.

I write for spiritual seekers with intellectual curiosity, and for those who believe understanding the past can illuminate the way forward. I write for anyone interested in how we can live not just well, but wisely, creating conditions for flourishing that extend beyond ourselves to our communities and world.

I'm currently authoring WALKING THROUGH STORMS, the first historical biography of Thich Nhat Hanh—the monk who taught the world mindfulness and whose community I’ve known intimately since childhood—which will be published by Knopf in North America.

If you’re interested in keeping up with my writing, subscribe to my Substack publication to receive monthly essays and updates in your inbox.