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emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i have so many things to say about this book but i can’t actually find the words. i also feel like words would never do justice.
the mountains sing truly encapsulated the hope and tragedy of a family experiencing a civil war and other trials. it made me laugh, cry with both sadness and happiness. it made me realise even further just how complicated Vietnam’s history is. it isn’t just a country that was subject to a war with america, it has had years of turbulence that affected the people who lived there. and i’m so grateful i could read a book like this, it gives a voice to people who haven’t had one before.
definitely a 5 star read. without a doubt.
the mountains sing truly encapsulated the hope and tragedy of a family experiencing a civil war and other trials. it made me laugh, cry with both sadness and happiness. it made me realise even further just how complicated Vietnam’s history is. it isn’t just a country that was subject to a war with america, it has had years of turbulence that affected the people who lived there. and i’m so grateful i could read a book like this, it gives a voice to people who haven’t had one before.
definitely a 5 star read. without a doubt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Abortion, Death of parent
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Lyrical and enchanting, The Mountains Sing tells the history of a whole country through the tale of two generations of women. A must read! Quê' Mai details a large part of the atrocities committed during the Vietnam war with painstaking care, covering everything from PTSD to the devastating impact of chemical warfare. At the same time, this story is filled with love, hope and compassion. The language is just beautiful and you can really tell that the author also writes poetry. The only issue I had with the book was that the pacing was a little off at times. The resolution came too quick, which undermined the build up that the two different time lines were supposed to set up. I think the book could have benefited from a few extra chapters, especially in Diêu Lan's perspective. My rating would be 4.5 stars if possible but will round up because I still really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Miscarriage, Rape, Forced institutionalization
Minor: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide, Torture, Vomit
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Cursing, Rape, Abortion, Alcohol, Colonisation
Minor: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Terminal illness
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I learned more about Vietnam's history through this book, a lot of which I didn't know about including the Land Reform during the 1950s. I enjoyed how the author also integrated cultural beliefs, figures of speech/metaphors, and traditions of Vietnamese people throughout the story. It helped me understand the country and the country's history so much more!
I also loved the switching timelines spanning from 1940s to 1980s, and the different POVs between Huong and Dieu Lan! I took turns between the physical book and listening to it on audio, which I think helped me enjoy the book more taking turns. I was able to focus better on the story and changing timelines with the physical book but I loved the audio for the pronunciation of names, places, and the cultural figures of speech.
The Mountains Sing was an emotional, heartbreaking historical fiction read. Vietnam has been on my bucket list and this book helped me understand the people and their culture, making me want to visit even more if you enjoy: historical fiction, switching POVs, multigenerational stories, or books filled with hope then you may enjoy this one!
The Mountains Sing was an emotional, heartbreaking historical fiction read. Vietnam has been on my bucket list and this book helped me understand the people and their culture, making me want to visit even more if you enjoy: historical fiction, switching POVs, multigenerational stories, or books filled with hope then you may enjoy this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Rape, Abortion, Abandonment
Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation
Moderate: Alcoholism, Abortion
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Gore, Rape, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
The Mountains Sing is the story of four generations of the Tran family, told through the experiences of two women, set against the backdrop of Vietnam’s difficult history. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of the indomitable human spirit to persevere in the face of injustices and a family who refuses to give up.
There is so much history we don’t know about, so many injustices that people were forced to endure in the past that can’t be put right, so many lives lost and families torn apart by wars, entire generations who inherit the trauma of wars brought back by returning or lost family members. There are still so many who carry the grief and loss in their hearts. So many countries and their histories erased, together with the lives of countless people. People forbidden to talk about the inhumanity of those in power. But as @nguyenphanquemai_ rightly says, history lives on in people’s memories, and as long as those memories live on, there is faith that we can do better.
And isn’t that why we read? Stories bring us closer to people separated from us by distance and experiences. It gives us an opportunity to share in their grief and loss, to live with their fears and dreams, to celebrate their victories and endure their heartbreaks, because “Somehow I was sure that if people were willing to read each other and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth.”
There is so much heart in this book, so many experiences and memories poured into it to bring Vietnam to life on these pages. Author Que Mai’s words are simple but impactful. They have the power to invoke a million different feelings in you. I read countless book reviews before starting with the book, but nothing could prepare me for how much this story has to offer. I had not expected to cry as much as I did. I had not expected that this book will bring back memories for me that I tried but failed to bury repeatedly, that it’ll be the start of not one, but many difficult conversations. I did not expect this book to break my heart and then put it back together all in 339 pages. Thank you @nguyenphanquemai_ for bringing me closer to something I constantly fear I’ll lose.
There is so much history we don’t know about, so many injustices that people were forced to endure in the past that can’t be put right, so many lives lost and families torn apart by wars, entire generations who inherit the trauma of wars brought back by returning or lost family members. There are still so many who carry the grief and loss in their hearts. So many countries and their histories erased, together with the lives of countless people. People forbidden to talk about the inhumanity of those in power. But as @nguyenphanquemai_ rightly says, history lives on in people’s memories, and as long as those memories live on, there is faith that we can do better.
And isn’t that why we read? Stories bring us closer to people separated from us by distance and experiences. It gives us an opportunity to share in their grief and loss, to live with their fears and dreams, to celebrate their victories and endure their heartbreaks, because “Somehow I was sure that if people were willing to read each other and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth.”
There is so much heart in this book, so many experiences and memories poured into it to bring Vietnam to life on these pages. Author Que Mai’s words are simple but impactful. They have the power to invoke a million different feelings in you. I read countless book reviews before starting with the book, but nothing could prepare me for how much this story has to offer. I had not expected to cry as much as I did. I had not expected that this book will bring back memories for me that I tried but failed to bury repeatedly, that it’ll be the start of not one, but many difficult conversations. I did not expect this book to break my heart and then put it back together all in 339 pages. Thank you @nguyenphanquemai_ for bringing me closer to something I constantly fear I’ll lose.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Death of parent
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide