The book of salt is vietnamese american author monique truongs first novel it presents a narrative through the eyes of binh a vietnamese cook his story centers in paris in his life as the cook in the home of gertrude stein and alice b toklas and is supplemented by his memories of his childhood in french colonial vietnam this book is structured as a stream of consciousness narrative in which binhs present circumstances are mixed with episodes from his past showing bits . Her first novelthe book of salt a national bestseller was awarded the 2003 bard fiction prize the stonewall book award barbara gittings literature award and the young lions fiction award. The book of salt is the first novel length work by truong it has a fascinating concept we know from history that stein and toklas had at different points two chefs from indochine nothing more is known truong picks up that point of unknown and spins it into a novel about love identity home and food. The book of salt is the first novel length work by truong it has a fascinating concept we know from history that stein and toklas had at different points two chefs from indochine nothing more is known truong picks up that point of unknown and spins it into a novel about love identity home and food