A review by bookthia
Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Very good.  Interweaving stories of people who lived and survived the Vietnam war.   I had small quibbles with some of the character development but the story itself was excellent.  I listened on audio deliberately to hear the Vietnamese words spoken properly and I am so glad I did. The narration was wonderful. Two Vietnamese sisters move from the country to Saigon to help their parents pay off debts and get swept up in the sex trade that took hold when American soldiers came. One sister falls in love with a soldier and becomes pregnant with his child.  Many years later, after the war, the soldier and his wife return to Vietnam to find his child.  But the story digs deep into the various traumas and hardships experienced by the Vietnamese, and to a smaller extent, to Americans. 

As someone who has been privileged to have recently travelled in Vietnam, it was fascinating to be familiar with some of the locations used in the novel. 

Recommend.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings