“Our ancestors may be gone, but their spirits live on in the land, the wind, and the stories we tell.”
The mountains sing
The Mountains Sing. Honestly, I can’t remember how and when I got this book. Thanks to my husband, who got me into the habit of writing the dates down whenever I get a new book, I have the date when I bought it. Apparently, I’ve had this book on my bookshelf since December 2022 and finally got down to reading it last month. The Mountains Sing was my introduction to Vietnam. For some reason, I’ve only paid attention to Vietnam war from the point of view of the USA. Apart from that I only know about Vietnamese cuisine. I got to admit I’m not proud of it. But this book got me curious to explore more about the history, the culture and everything else. Let’s dive right into what this book is all about.
About the Author
“Sometimes the greatest acts of bravery are the quietest ones, performed without fanfare or recognition.”
The mountains sing
The author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is a Vietnamese poet and novelist. She started her writing career with Vietnamese poetry and has later in English. The Mountains Sing is her debut novel in English. Nguyen Phan Que Mai has published twelve books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction novels in Vietnamese and English.
Star Rating
3 stars
Summary
“War destroys more than just cities and homes; it tears apart the very fabric of our humanity.”
The Mountains sing
The Mountains Sing is a beautifully woven story that revolves around a Vietnamese girl Guava, living with her grandmother in the 1970s. They are doing their best to survive while her parents, uncles, and aunts are fighting the famous “Vietnam War”. The book captures the details about not only the never-ending war, but also the atrocities that we never hear about in any other media or communication. For example, the suffering the civilians had to go through. Even though, it wasn’t the nuclear war, enough chemicals were used to cause deformities in future generations. My last book review was about a story from India, this one is another story from the East.
The Plot
The story begins with Guava, then a twelve-year-old girl, finding shelter to hide from American bombs. She is dependent on her grandmother, who is a schoolteacher. Both her parents, as well as her aunts and uncles have gone to war. She dreams about her mother and father coming home and embracing her. But first she must survive. She must survive the bombs, then hunger and the effects of communism. While she is going through her struggles, she has her grandmother to rely on, who not only is feeding her, keeping her safe. But also educating her with the stories of her life from when she was a little girl.
“There is strength in embracing our roots, in remembering where we come from and honouring those who came before us.”
The Mountains sing
As a girl her grandmother lived through another war, when Japanese occupied Vietnam. Through these stories Guava learns the truth about how brave her grandmother has been and the struggles she had to go through to stay alive and raise her children. She lost her father to Japanese and her mother to the Great Famine. Her brother was killed during land reform and her eldest son was separated from her. It’s a never ending and wonderfully inspiring story of a woman who tackled one challenge after another and came out as a victor. In the process, she raised beautiful, intelligent children and grandchildren and left a legacy to be envied. She reminded me of Scarlet from Gone With The Wind.
What I loved about the book
“It is through storytelling that we preserve our history, pass on our traditions, and inspire future generations.”
The mountains sing
As I confessed before, this book has been an introduction to Vietnam and it’s history. The author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai has used her person family stories and stories from other Vietnamese families and made it into a compelling narrative about the untold details about the country’s struggles. It’s made me curious to learn more about the Vietnamese history and its effects on current situation and overall culture in Vietnam.
Final thoughts
Like me if you are also curious about Vietnam and want a glimpse into the culture, it’s a beautiful story to begin that journey with.
Until next time. Ciao!
