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abbie_'s review against another edition
3.0
Dust Child focuses on the devastating effect of the Vietnam war on a few different characters. We have Trang and her sister who become bar girls during the war to earn money to help out their parents' debt. Trange becomes involved with Dan, a white American GI, and one of the other POVs in the book. Then there's Phong, a half Black, half Vietnamese man who is trying to locate his father and possibly move to America.
My main gripes with this book were mainly all to do with Dan. He is such a dick, and while I fully think we're meant to think he's a dick for most of the book, I didn't vibe with the redemption arc he got at the end. I didn't feel like picking up the book when I was in a Dan part. I also thought the writing was a little too on the nose at times. A bookish friend used the word 'didactic' which I think is perfect - this book was written to inform, and that took me out of the story. This makes sense, since the author used material from a real-life research project she did as inspiration.
I found Phong's storyline to be the most compelling. I didn't know 'dust child' was a term used to refer to Amerasians born to Vietnamese women with Black American fathers, nor was I aware of the racism they faced in Vietnam because of their mixed heritage.
I did also like Trang and her sister's storylines, although Trang was unbelievably naive at times. I liked how Quỳnh came back into the story later.
I've watched a few interviews with Quế Mai and she is a wonderful, genuine person. Nadia did an interview with her recently over on The StoryGraph's Instagram where she shares some of the importance of diacritics to the text (though in my edition, some of the diacritics would be randomly missing off characters' names??) and I always appreciate that sort of insight.
Graphic: Infertility, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, War, Sexual violence, Racism, Child death, and Death
proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Dan, amerikansk helikopterpilot under Vietnam-kriget, bestämmer sig i nutid för att åka tillbaka till Vietnam och konfrontera sitt förflutna. Samtidigt söker Phong efter sina föräldrar efter att ha blivit lämnad på barnhem som baby.
Askans barn kallas de barn som har en vietnamesisk mamma och en amerikansk pappa. De flesta växte upp under svåra förhållanden och bespottades av alla. Tyvärr en tragisk verklighet där man kan se att Vietnam-kriget (eller det amerikanska kriget, som vietnameserna kallar det) fortfarande har konsekvenser. Ännu en gång har jag fått lära mig mer om effekterna av detta krig och det skär i hjärtat att tänka på alla liv som förstörts. Tack och lov finns här även värme och hopp, så allt är inte tragiskt och nattsvart.
Jag kan förstå att "Där askan blommar" är nominerad till Årets bok, men jag blir ändå inte lika överväldigad som jag blev av författarens förra bok, "När bergen sjunger". Kanske beror det bara på att jag inte hade några speciella förväntningar inför läsningen av den boken, medan jag nu visste vad jag kunde förvänta mig. Kanske beror det på att jag hade ovanligt svårt att hålla isär de vietnamesiska namnen och blandade ihop karaktärerna mer än en gång. Jag vet inte riktigt, men det här är ändå en väldigt bra bok och jag tycker att författarens båda böcker bör läsas av alla som tycker om att lära sig saker medan de läser, samtidigt som de uppskattar ett fint språk och en bra berättad historia.
Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Death, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, Grief, Pregnancy, Racism, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Infertility, Addiction, Suicide, and Infidelity
raineachreads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: War
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Infertility, and Alcohol
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I was pulled in right away! I didn’t want to put it down but also wanted to slow down so could savor the story. Beautiful writing once again from the author (I read and loved her debut last year). I’m a sucker for multiple timelines and POVs so this did not disappoint!
I also really liked the complex characters and their relationships. I learned a lot about pieces of history during/following the Vietnam War, which I always enjoy learning something new!
If you read this, grab tissues for last 25% 😭 I sobbed and was a wreck for the rest of the night and following day. This was a very hopeful and emotional read.
If my last read, Cecily, didn’t already have me in a mini slump I’m definitely in one now 😳 WHAT BOOK CAN FOLLOW THIS?! (This will also be my next “book to push into everyone’s hands”/go to recommendation)
Graphic: Mental illness, Abandonment, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Alcoholism, Racism, Racial slurs, War, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Child death
Minor: Infertility, Self harm, Dementia, and Vomit