The mountains sing: Nguyen Phan Que Mai by Phan Que Mai Nguyen

The mountains sing: Nguyen Phan Que Mai Reviews

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  Aminu jolade

  I really loved reading this book. I had all the emotions from sadness to happiness."But war isn't kindness or sympathy War is death, sorrow, and misery"A multigenerational tale of the Tran family, set during the Viet Nam War. The first POV is Dieu Lan who was forced to flee her home with her children during the riots and purging caused by the Land Reform. While trying to escape, she has to leave behind her children to keep them safe. Years later, we watch her and her granddaughter hiding from the bombs while trying to keep hope alive. The second POV that we get is that of Huong (the granddaughter) as she lives and grows up in a war torn country, waiting for her parents to return from the war and baring the repercussion of their decide to fight at the war front. Huong's mother returning with PTSD, her uncle without his legs, her other uncle dead and others still missing.The writing is so good, that you almost feel and hear the bombs and the silent howl of pain it leaves in its wake. Its so vivid, rich in culture (language and tradition), I really loved the proverbs that were sprinkled all through the book. Grandma Lan was presented as a strong woman who nothing seems to faze until you realise why; her experiences with the war that had tried to break her, had forged her into a force field. A pillar of strength for her family.I like that we end on a good note. As this is a coming of age story (across multiple generations) we get to see them fall in love and marry, have children and share losses. Huong' relationship was really cute and Tam was just so cute; I was so invested in their happiness. They both deserved it.I have probably given too many spoilers, but I just encourage you to read this book. I learnt a lot about the war that I didn't know before. There was one thought that came to my mind about the Land Reform law and how it destroyed the lives of many. 'The best way to destroy a community, is to divide them by riches. The poor will rise up and stone the rich and powerful. Then there will be no one left to protect the community' They acted out of greed and they destroyed themselves, forgetting that the heavens hold record.
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  WendyJT

  We read this for our bookclub. It is really interesting to see the Vietnamese point of view of the Vietnam war and the year before and after. Fascinating to learn about life there. The story does jump about a bit; so you have to concentrate on the character's names. The family tree at the front is helpful. A map of Vietnam would also be of use. The terrible events of the American bombing with Agent Orange and the long term effects are worth reading about. What a pointless, cruel conflict. Having said that, the jealousy and infighting between the Vietnamese people themselves caused dreadful pain and suffering. There is poetry in the prose, which gives it a wonderfully authentic flavour. This is Que Mai's first novel in English, based on family experiences, so it will be interesting to see what topic she tackles next.
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  Rosemary999

  This is a potted history of Vietnam in the twentieth century, told through the eyes of the grandmother, who lived through the French and Japanese occupations and the horrors of the war with America. It also brings to light the internal divisions within the country and how farmers were classified as rich and exploitative landowners who had to be eradicated at the beginning of the communist era. If you enjoy Philippa Gregory’s books to learn about British history, and you want to learn about the rest of the world, this is a ‘must read’.
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  jaybee

  This gave a quite different view of the war, from a south Vietnamese point of view. It told of the hardship endured by the ordinary people. The damage that was done done by the Americans. How the North Vietnamese delt with the landowners and the employers, how things got twisted, to make the 'good people' into 'bad people'.
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  Ms A.

  This is quite a hard book to read as it tells a history that is filled with sadness and loss. It is hard to imagine people going through so much and still surviving. It is really worth reading , the only thing I didn't enjoy was that it kept jumping from period to period and back again and it's difficult to keep track of the characters and their back stories. It is worth reading though.