The Mountains Sing is a multigenerational tale of the Tran family, set against the backdrop of the Viet Nam War. In 1972, a war breaks out in Viet Nam, 12-year-old Huong flees with her grandmother to escape death and injury. The story tells the unforgettable tale of two women, in two different times (generations), going through similar horrific struggles to survive.
First, I would like to thank the author for writing this novel. The Mountains Sing is an account of the history of Vietnam in the 20th Century. The story looks at the famine, land reform, depression, colonization, and civil war in Vietnam. This book is an impressive history lesson of the country. I learnt so much about the country, the places, culture, religion, traditions, and its people.
Trigger Warning: This story is raw, moving, and horrific. Despite the sad tale, this book is a portrayal of resilience, survival, and hope.
Nguyen’s writing is beautiful. The writing is lyrical and poetic. I was captivated and blown away by her craftsmanship. The storytelling transported me to another world - land and place in history. Though the story is emotional and sad, I fell in love with the characters and soon, I couldn’t put the book down. Each chapter drew me in and gave me something to look forward to.
The story is told from two POVs – the grandmother Dieu Lan and 12-year-old Huong spanning from the 1920s to 1970s. The storytelling is like 2 sides of a coin – presenting two sides of Vietnamese history that has been missing from the narrative.
Do you understand why I’ve decided to tell you about our family? If our stories survive, we will not die, even when our bodies are no longer here on earth.
This book is IMPORTANT. The book looks critically at the Vietnamese challenges and the consequences on families, women, children, and soldiers. Grandmother’s Dieu Lan’s experience broke me.
The themes presented include survival, family, the consequence of war, forgiveness and reconciliation, loss and grief and love among others.
I highly recommend this book.
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