skurtyka89 's review for:

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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: No

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I loved this book! It has a good balance between historical reality and family fiction. The characters are dynamic and beautiful. A portrayal of hardship, hunger, death, war, violence, separation, family, grief and suffering. The story is intimate from the POVs of a grandmother (who lived through everything) and a granddaughter (who lived through the most recent). The stories of their family members, neighbors and friends are punctuated throughout. Difficult to read in its brutality and harshness. Covers the 1920s-1970s-Great Hunger, Land Reform and Viet Nam War. This novel brings the history of Viet Nam to life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Infertility, Slavery, Excrement