The Mountains Sing - BookWyrm.it

Hardcover

Pubblicato il 27 Agosto 2020 da Algonquin Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-61620-818-9

(1 recensione)

The Mountains Sing tells an enveloping, multigenerational tale of the Trần family, set against the backdrop of the Việt Nam War. Trần Diệu Lan, who was born in 1920, was forced to flee her family farm with her six children during the Land Reform as the Communist government rose in the North. Years later in Hà Nội, her young granddaughter, Hương, comes of age as her parents and uncles head off down the Hồ Chí Minh Trail to fight in a conflict that tore apart not just her beloved country, but also her family.

Vivid, gripping, and steeped in the language and traditions of Việt Nam, The Mountains Sing brings to life the human costs of this conflict from the point of view of the Vietnamese people themselves, while showing us the true power of kindness and hope.

5 edizioni

KnitAFett ha recensito The Mountains Sing di Phan Quế Mai Nguyễn

Intergenerational story in war-torn Vietnam.

5 stelle

This book follows Hương (Guava) and her grandmother, Diêu Lan, as they navigate the chaos that is tearing through their home in Việt Nam due to the war. The 1970s timeline is told by Hương, and Diêu Lan tells her background from the 40s to the reader while sharing her history with her granddaughter. My one gripe is that it was sometimes hard to remember what timeline I was in because the storytelling from both ends was a little similar. This may have mostly been due to listening to the audiobook, so ymmv. Considering that this is Nguyễn’s first English book, I give her a pass.

This can be a tough read at times because of the events that occur to the characters due to the wars and Communist reform, and the overall nastiness of human nature. This is one that I would suggest checking trigger warnings on before beginning. …

This book follows Hương (Guava) and her grandmother, Diêu Lan, as they navigate the chaos that is tearing through their home in Việt Nam due to the war. The 1970s timeline is told by Hương, and Diêu Lan tells her background from the 40s to the reader while sharing her history with her granddaughter. My one gripe is that it was sometimes hard to remember what timeline I was in because the storytelling from both ends was a little similar. This may have mostly been due to listening to the audiobook, so ymmv. Considering that this is Nguyễn’s first English book, I give her a pass.

This can be a tough read at times because of the events that occur to the characters due to the wars and Communist reform, and the overall nastiness of human nature. This is one that I would suggest checking trigger warnings on before beginning.

This was a very fresh perspective for me as I've never read anything based in the history of war-torn Việt Nam or the Communist reform that occurred. Even with the heavy topics, this was a surprisingly easy read and I became very invested in the characters. I felt like I was there witnessing what was happening and sharing their trials with them. I will be continuing to dive into the sides of the Việt Nam war that I have not been introduced to until now. Being able to start this journey by taking in the words of someone who experienced the effect of the wars first-hand is always a great thing. Definitely one that I recommend.