The International Bestseller A New York Times Editors’ Choice SelectionA Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Awards Fellowship “[An] absorbing, stirring novel . . . that, in more than one sense, remedies history.” —The New York Times Book Review“A triumph, a novelistic rendition of one of the most difficult times in Vietnamese history . . . Vast in scope and intimate in its telling . . . Moving … Vast in scope and intimate in its telling . . . Moving and riveting.” —VIET THANH NGUYEN, author of The Sympathizer, winner of the Pulitzer Prize
With the epic sweep of Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing and the lyrical beauty of Vaddey Ratner’s In the Shadow of the Banyan, 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.
The Mountains Sing is celebrated Vietnamese poet Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai’s first novel in English.
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This novel tells the story of the Viet Nam war through the eyes of ordinary North Vietnamese people. Since I came of age during the conflict, seeing the human costs on the other side was heart-wrenching. And, this woman can write. The author is a celebrated poet, but this is her first novel in English.
Wow. What an amazing story! Heartbreaking yet uplifting. The Mountains Sing is the best book I’ve read this year!
It seems almost sacrilegious to say this is a beautifully written book while the content is about two violent periods of Vietnam’s history. Even though surrounded by violence, respectfulness and gentleness could still be found among the people of Vietnam. This is a story of human endurance, family, loyalty, hope, and the strength of the women.
“If our stories survive, we will not die, even when our bodies are no longer here on earth.” Thus, this story follows two timelines, one of Tran Dieu Lan as a young woman during the time of the Land Reform movement of the mid-twentieth century, and the other is told from the perspective of Guava, Tran Dieu Lan’s granddaughter after the Vietnamese War that involved the US soldiers.
While I was mostly untouched by the Vietnam war, many around me were not. While I am aware of the trauma the returning American soldiers suffered, I never really thought about the Vietnamese soldiers. It was interesting reading about the division of North and South Vietnam and the impact it had on the people there. The timeline involving the Land Reform reminded me of the book “In the Shadow of the Banyan” which I enjoyed immensely.
The author’s short essay at the end of the book was very informational. I am so impressed that she wrote this book while learning the English language!
Haunting, Lyrical, breathtaking
I love books that take me inside another culture, and I can’t think of one that does it better than this. An alternate and fascinating perspective on Vietnamese history told through the story of three generations of women, and how events, family, the war touch, scar and ultimately uplift them.
This beautifully written tale took me inside Vietnamese culture in a way I’d never have anticipated. From the smell of worshipping at a family altar, to the rice paddies and torturous treks on foot when war breaks out, to lost family members, split allegiances and ultimately the universal truth of love for one’s family and this beautiful country.
Sometimes you read a book and you recognize how its very existence adds huge value in bringing a different and compelling viewpoint to the literature already out there. This was one of those books for me.
Great storytelling, a haunting and breathtaking cross generational tale that stays with you long after reading. If I could give this one six stars out of five I would.
I also thoroughly recommend the audiobook – I loved it so much I read both the ebook and listened to the audio, which really helped with understanding the pronunciations.